Rhythm Of Love
by klcm
Summary: Morgan asks Garcia for the most perfect memory she can give him
1. Give Me A Memory

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A.N:**_First off... Happy New Year, everyone! New year, new story =P Hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and got everything they wanted... sadly I didn't, I had no Morgan or any other hot man under my tree =( lol_

_It feels like forever since I last posted, but I have quite a few stories on the go at the moment, but for now enjoy this baby =)_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope held onto him just a little bit closer, her eyes crying silent tears as they danced in amongst all the other happy dancers at the bar.

She would not let him see any of the tears she'd shed at what the next day involved.

Penelope knew as she held him, that after this, they'd go home separately and when she woke up and went to work that morning, he'd be gone. He was going undercover, there was no changing that and this was the last time she'd get to feel him so close for God knew how long.

She didn't even know if he could feel her fingers gripping his shoulders just that little tighter, or feel the rumble of her tears in her chest as she kept her cheek next to his firm chest to avoid him any visual of her tear covered face.

She didn't know, and she didn't care to find out. She just wanted to hold onto him and never ever have to let him go.

Derek's arms flexed around her body, he felt her every perfect placed curved, trying to remember what this felt like to have her close. He closed his eyes as he nestled closer into her hair and he took in her sweet smell, the perfume he'd gotten her years ago still her favourite.

He smiled to know that he had such effects on her life, that he could cause her to gain new favourites and lose old loves. He didn't want that to sound superior in her life or even domineering, he didn't want her forced to have to change, he wanted her to be introduced to new things and love them just as much.

He hoped she'd smell like this when he came back. He hoped she was still his _Red Delicious_; he prayed she'd still have those ruby lips and the colourful clothes, that she remained intact and unharmed.

He stood and sent a silent prayer hoping that she stayed the same, perfect, precious Penelope Garcia that rocked his world.

The lights flew around them, taking away all the other people, making their emotions become more and more known, they couldn't hide it, they were going to miss one another in equal amounts and if this was it for a week, a month, 6 months, a year, _more_, then they both wanted to make this moment count.

They both felt so shut off in such a public place, their chemistry isolated, their grips locked to the other and nothing seemed to matter, not even the beat of the music, or the flashing lights, or their team members that were scattered around the bar waiting for them to come back.

All that mattered was them.

Penelope felt her heart gallop and a lump formed in her throat, she pushed away, "I need some air, I'll be right back," she smiled weakly and fled the dance floor, leaving Derek alone, her ability of hiding her every emotion diminished in one of the glares of bright lights.

She didn't want to think that this could be it. That by some evil chance, something might happen to Derek, that he might get hurt and she wouldn't have been around to help him or get to him. Her heart twisted violently in her chest at the absolute icy cold terror that he might well fall in love while away, that one of the many women he came into contact with might be his reason to never come home.

She slumped down onto the bench just outside the bar and felt completely miserable. She promised she wouldn't be like this, but now that the goodbyes were looming she was becoming a wreck.

"You left me." Derek's deep tone come from behind her and her shoulders tensed and she reached up to wipe her tears. Derek walked around the bench and slid down next to her, he leant back, his arm going around her back ready for when she sat back down.

"I'll be back in, in a minute, Hot Stuff," she told him and smiled, but she could tell her game was up, he had her marked. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry." She began to mutter, "I'm losing my best friend."

"Who said so?"

"This undercover stuff does," she told him and he'd never seen so much devastation brewing before, "I get it, it's your job, but you're jobs here as well."

"Penelope Garcia's best friend is a well worth it job, if not underpaid." He teased her and she laughed a little and looked over at him, her smile not illuminating her features as he so wished, "I'll be back."

"Could be famous last words."

"Hey now, Baby Girl, why the negativity?" He asked her and pulled her back and closer to him, his arm wrapping around her shoulder.

Penelope looked out across the road, "I'm just gonna miss you." She finally admitted, after days of knowing she'd finally allowed herself to say it out loud and to someone. "Standing in there I just realised that there's a lot I'm gonna miss, and I don't know how long I'm going to have to wait for it to come back."

Derek had never realised the effect this was causing, so he released her a little and turned to face her, making her his entire attention.

"What if something happens? Or you change? Or I change? Or you fall in love and you never want to come back?" She fretted frantically, "I couldn't bare you not coming back here, Handsome, I really couldn't.

"To not see your smile, or hear you laugh or get one of you hugs. I'm gonna miss it all like crazy and well, it could happen, you could find you like it wherever you're going, and you might like everyone else better. There are so many things that could happen for you to not ever want to come back."

Derek leant forward thoughtfully, his hands joint between his legs and he looked back at her as she sat frozen on her spot on the bench.

"Give me a good enough reason to come back," he told her, it wasn't a request or a gentle question, he was demanding she give him an answer.

"Come back to me." She said meekly and now Derek froze, her eyes locking fiercely with his.

"Why?" He asked her incredulously.

"Because I'm in love with you that's why." Penelope said and dissolved into more tears, she looked up to the starry sky, trying her hardest to calm herself and revel in that silence.

Derek sat back up, turned to her, a small smile on his lips, "come home with me tonight."

Penelope looked at him, "why?" she took her chance to ask him.

"So I have the most perfect memory possible to come home to." He said and put his hand out to her.

Penelope looked at the simple gesture and put her heart on the line.

She put her hand in his.

Penelope let Derek take her home that night; she was giving him every reason to come home.

_And all your tears will subside  
All your tears will dry  
And long after I've gone  
You'll still be humming along  
And I will keep you in my mind  
The way you make love so fine  
We may only have tonight  
But till the morning sun you're mine all mine_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _This was going to be a ONEshot but after having it read it got made into a multichapter and boy did it set off on it's own life..._

**Song:** _Plain White T's – Rhythm of Love_

_Now... who wants more?_


	2. Coming Home To You

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Can I just say... WOW! Thank you for all the great response to chapter one... and now let's hope this doesn't disappoint... so without further ado... _

_Warning: Rated M... _

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Derek strode into the BAU building; his head held high, his place in life finally given back to him, his normalcy growing ever more around him. He loved knowing things; he loved even more seeing that the only thing that had changed was the lick of paint on the building's walls.

It calmed him as he made his way to his old job.

He saw people smile at him as he went, heard their hello's as he passed and he remembered why he loved this place. Then there was one reason that struck him that he loved being back the most.

_Penelope._

In his debriefing after coming out of undercover duties he was alerted that the team were very much alive and well and still a team. He didn't get the ins and outs of their lives but to know they were still together made him happen and to know that Penelope was a fully pledged member made his excitement to step out on that floor all the more monumental.

His strides were grand, his pace not slowed and all because he had the best goal ever.

He near enough punched the button for the elevator and was quite pleased when he caught it up alone.

As he stood with his back to the farthest away wall he just watched the doors, listened to the gentle noise as he began his ascent and then his mind wandered to the one object of desire.

_Penelope._

He smiled as he remembered, closed his eyes to see it all the more vividly.

"_**God Baby, I shouldn't have waited to leave to do this." Derek told her as he finally had her in his arms, kissing her insatiably, keeping her body close to his.**_

"_**Well I'll know if I'm any good if you come back to me," Penelope whispered as her feather light touch skimmed his skin as she began to tug on the neck of his shirt. "Promise me you'll be back." Was all she seemed to ask of Derek.**_

"_**I promise I'll come back," he said and to prove it he pushed her into the nearest wall, kissing the crook of her neck, sky rocketing her need for his body and his loving. He could feel her hesitancy at this, "I won't break your heart," he whispered into her ear, "I promise I won't, I love you too damn much to dare do that to you."**_

"_**I never doubted that." She said and as Derek pulled away, wanting the explanation, she could see the look in his eyes, the sheer lust and want, and happiness and she just gave herself to him, "I love you Derek." She told him with so much conviction that Derek could literally hear the echoes of her heart as she spoke out to him. **_

_**With that she shook her cardigan off and allowed his hand to roam her body and reach for the zip of her dress, she allowed him to undress her as she kicked her heels off and undid his jeans and they both slowly made it up the stairs, kissing, touching, arousing one another with each little lustful step. **_

_**The moment his hand ran over the lace of her bra he knew he'd hit his personal jackpot. Penelope's body was by far more phenomenal than he had ever imagined and that was with his imagination stretching the farthest it could. **_

_**He nibbled on her ear, making her head tip back, her hair falling out as she pulled the pins and multiple fastenings from it and he kissed down her neck again, kissing dead on her jugular and he could feel her pulse race through it, he could feel how alive she was in that moment. **_

"_**So beautiful," he mumbled as he finally got her on the bed and beneath him.**_

_**Penelope allowed him to lift her enough so he could undo her bra and she tugged down on his boxers before being allowed to remove them fully. She just licked her lips in the anticipation as he stood before her, the memory burning into her subconscious.**_

_**She knew that after tonight she'd have a lot of lonely nights wishing to have him close like this again. **_

"_**Yours too," Derek prompted her, and Penelope listened and as sexily as she could pulled her panties off, and from the expression on Derek's face, she'd achieved it as he came towards her and literally began to ravish her. **_

_**She felt one hand pin her by a wrist above her head while her other hand hooked onto his back, and his other hand slowly slid down her body, finding her hot centre almost immediately and already he could feel she was wet for him.**_

_**He had to smile at it, he had to love how willing she was to give her body to him. Much like he was ready to give his to hers. **_

_**Penelope felt him thrust his fingers into her before removing them and repeating it and she just bit down on her lip at the pleasure she felt. **_

"_**Please," she finally gasped and looked at him, her eyes full of passion, "Derek, I need to feel you in me." She near enough begged him, "Please."**_

_**He couldn't last any longer, not with his want, and her pleads, he needed her as much as she needed him that much was clear and he knew he couldn't deny her, or him what was a long, long time coming. **_

_**So he moved so his penis was on her opening and he thrust into her, burying deep and her gasp out loud in pleasure told him the fulfilment was as much a two sided thing, his giving was being very much received and it only spurred him on for more. **_

_**Penelope felt herself, for once in her life, feel the fulfilment of good love making. She'd always imagined it with Derek, but this never came close, God did she underestimate this man. Everything he was giving her was gold plated with perfection.**_

_**She felt him thrust in and out and it felt so right, even with the predicament of him leaving in the morning light, it felt right. **_

_**She just gave herself fully to him and even when he pulled her close after, exhaustion cloaking them both heavily she was still on cloud nine.**_

"_**That was perfect," he whispered as they fell asleep in each other's arms, "I'll be back before you know it." He told her as they both succumbed to the sleep. **_

Derek opened his eyes as the elevator stopped on his floor, he still hated how he had to wake up and leave her that morning. He left her in his bed, alone, sleeping and picked up his bags and all he could leave was a key and a note.

That was the possibly the hardest thing to do after that night.

Yet as he looked out and stepped out onto the sixth floor he realised he had a chance to resume because if that night meant as much as it meant to Derek, Penelope would've kept her promise and waited for him.

Because Derek was back to claim her as his and he would do so and he would keep her for the rest of his life.

He hooked his bag over his shoulder and went for the glass door, pushing it open he saw his desk empty, Emily and Reid working hard and he coughed loudly, both looking up.

"Want a team member back?" He asked rhetorically, his killer smile well and truly fixed in place.

"Well look who comes back." Emily said as she stood up and went over to him, giving him a hug. "It's been a while, Morgan."

"Too long, Em," he said and dropped is bag, "you alright genius?" He asked as he hugged Reid brotherly.

"I am now," Reid told him.

Derek looked up to see Hotch come out of his office, and wordlessly, a smile on his lips, tap on Rossi's door as he walked passed.

"Ah my superheroes!" Penelope cried triumphantly as she came into the bullpen, "you are not gonna believe what this tech kitten found and it's not just one thing, but about three of them and..." She looked up to be confronted with Derek and she dropped all the paperwork in her hands, "oh my." She mumbled and she froze there, in that position, just staring.

"Hey Baby Girl," Derek said very suavely and shot her a killer smile.

Penelope's hand went to her stomach as she felt unsettled and nauseous. Here before her was the man she'd spent night after night waiting on coming home for the last 6 and a half months. Just hearing that nickname and she felt like everything in her life was less hectic and in the air, his voice grounded her at last.

Derek looked at her hand and noticed an immediate change. His eyes widened and he swallowed hard. She was pregnant, he was sure of it, and his heart bottomed on him in that moment. He immediately tried to guess the man that now held her heart and was the father of her child and couldn't think.

Then he saw no ring, and he saw that look of lust and love and passion all over again and he knew it immediately.

Penelope was carrying _his_ child and all he could do was go in search of air, leaving Penelope behind.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Oho! Who saw that? And who wants more? =P_


	3. Just Tell Me

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N: **Let's solve some problems...

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope didn't leave a moment's notice to follow, as soon as his cologne filled her senses she was near enough running after him.

Like an addict, she was following the substance that would sate her.

Her heart thudded in her chest, this was the moment she'd waited for after that morning. She'd waited for the longing and the emptiness to end and the happiness to kick start.

She didn't hesitate, she ran for the stairs, knowing there was nowhere else he could've gone. She ran through the doors and stopped at the railing looking down to see if he was heading to flee the entire building and she heard the slam of the door above her and she snapped her head up to look into the near darkness.

Taking her heels off, instantly feeling the ease on her swollen feet she made her way up the stairs as quickly as possible, keeping a hand on her stomach all the way.

She pushed through the door and into the light and felt the breeze wisp around her.

Her breath hitched as she saw him, his hands splayed on the railings, his shoulders broad and boxed his attention out on the view of Quantico.

"I always did love this place," she commented as she hugged herself against the chill of the breeze, walking closer inch by inch, "Always helped clear my head."

Derek remained silent as he stood there.

Penelope's mind reeled at his silence, her heart beginning to build up and muster the words that she had thought about saying before, this was going to be a whole load of loved up spiel and she knew it. She could even guarantee that if she did her usual, then she would ramble her way through this the best she how, and that was to just spout absolute random mumbo jumbo to get to her real cause.

"I did consider getting rid of this," she said and looked down at her stomach, her words bitter droplets in her ears. "I thought that I could get rid of this baby and be okay with my decision but then I thought to myself, what would I be left with then?"

She still kept the distance from him.

He still kept his silence.

"I couldn't lose another part of you from me." She admitted to him solemnly, "I remember when I found out, I made that doctor check three, four times before I even began thinking about making my way home, I just didn't want to believe him and I know it was a stupid mistake, neither of us did anything to prevent it but you do not know how happy I was to know that I was pregnant with the man I love's baby; how sad I was that he wasn't around to share it with me, how worried I was that I was making the wrong move and you'll never know how anxious I was about you missing out on it all."

Penelope felt the tears she'd kept well inside begin to brew in her eyes and she was worried at his continual silence.

"This isn't the type of reunion I had in mind." Penelope mumbled, feeling her morale drop, she just wanted to hear him and feel him.

After months of yearning for him to be bestowed before her finally came true and still, like a torture, he was stood beyond her, just out of reach.

"I need to know if I've made a real mess of not trying harder to get you back." Penelope began to panic, "I need to know if I've made a mistake keeping this baby." She near enough sounded like she was begging, "I need you to talk to me, please, Handsome, I need to know what I'm doing right."

Derek finally turned around and saw Penelope's distraught, drawn, fearful expression.

"Please, I need to know if you're back for me, or if you're back to tell me that I'm not what you want anymore." Her lip trembled harsher, "I need you to tell me, Derek, I need to know if you taking me to bed was so you could have last momento to go off on. I need to know if I was just another girl."

She dropped her eyes.

"I need to know if keeping this baby was a mistake in your eyes." She looked up at him then, she desperately needed to know, "because in my mind I imagined this all so differently."

"I came back for you." He finally spoke, his voice a little huskier at the momentary dry patch from no speaking, "That night was never a one night stand." He verified and Penelope's heart calmed down at that moment. "But this baby... I mean, I..."

Penelope nodded and rolled her eyes to clear the tears, "I understand." She said and she just began to believe that his lack of words was his denial was his disapproval of this. "I don't want you forced into this, Handsome, you've just got back, this is new and serious and," she looked up as he got closer and he finally touched her, "I love your baby so much, Hot Stuff." She told him as a tear fell down her face and Derek just caught it, "She's perfect, and she's mine, and she's yours and for that, I can't regret a thing."

"She?" Derek asked and watched Penelope nod, "we've got a daughter?" Derek asked taken back somewhat by the influx of information, "I-I don't know what I'm supposed to do right now..." He admitted to her confused a little.

"Just answer me one question and I'll leave you to do what you need, me being around isn't going to help you decide what you need to do right now."

"What is it?"

"Did you fall in love?" She asked, that scared look growing in her eyes again, her brown eyes were full of emotions, "Did you meet someone else and fall in love?"

"No," Derek answered her straight away, the truth just slipping from his tongue, "I had you to come back to." He said and dropped his head so he could kiss her on the lips, showing her the honesty that was situated in his words; he needed her to know that there was no one else right now. "You occupied my mind; I just worked so I could come home."

"And now your home?" She asked him and swallowed hard, "now you're back and know what's happened, am I still the right reason?"

Derek hooked his hand under her chin and lifted her head to look up at him, "always."

Penelope closed her eyes, begging some higher deity to tell her what to do next, asking some spiritual being to give her the words to know what was next. She opened her eyes and looked straight at Derek's and she faltered, she might have had a kiss but she needed to feel that familiarity of his arms as they wrapped around her body. She felt her heart warming again and the need for fulfilment just made her break down, the hormones running rapid in her body.

"I've missed you so much," she finally mustered as she broke fully and the tears turned into torrents and her words became mixed up with sobs.

Derek looked at Penelope, the woman of his dreams, the now mother of his one and only child and he'd never thought of anything better or more beautiful in his life. He never thought something like this, like having a child on the way, would fill him with such undying love and glee and excitement.

The one thing he loved was that it was with Penelope and no one else, it was with someone he loved and trusted most, and it was with the woman he'd strived to come home to for months.

All he needed was to process being back; to having Penelope back and he needed time to believe he was finally being made into a family man.

It was as her sobs circled his mind that he stepped in and took her into his arms, he held her tightly, feeling the perfect fitting woman as she stood crying in his arms. Even as he felt the baby bulge against him, he didn't need to be anywhere else right now.

Wherever Penelope was he knew he'd be home because Penelope was his solidarity, she was his heart, his soul, his sanity, Penelope was ultimately his other half, his soul mate best friend, his soul mate lover and she would be the woman he'd spend the rest of his days loving.

"Nowhere as much as I missed you," He finally said and kissed into her hair, soothing her gently.

He had refusal to let her go, not now that he had her back at long last.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Ta dah! Who's up for Chapter four?_


	4. Silence Of These Walls

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Thanks for all the amazing reviews guys =)_

_Upping the angst here..._

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope went home alone that night, not quite knowing how she was feeling.

Throughout the day she just felt herself become withdrawn, not really finding the words or the energy to be the flamboyant one of the team. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself; she just wanted to go to sleep and wake up on a new day, knowing full well that Derek was back and that this was the start.

At the moment, she had no idea what was happening.

Derek hadn't mentioned the baby, hadn't asked her anything. He hadn't wanted to know about how far gone she was when she found out, or how she really felt when she found out, how the others reacted, why he wasn't allowed home months ago because of it.

He'd just hugged her and told her that she couldn't have missed him more than he had missed her.

Her heart seemed to cramp at that thought.

She walked out of work, her head held as high as she could make it go and just left, she just wanted to be home. She knew Derek was home, she didn't want to bother him anymore, she knew it was space and time he needed.

There was one ounce of doubt she harboured when she got home and sat looking at the new nursery she had in boxes and unfinished pieces.

She doubted Derek wanted her or the baby now.

He had to feel something, but she hadn't been able to read it on him. The one time she needed to know what he was thinking and she couldn't read it on him. She knew he loved her that much was clear, but after months of dreaming about having him back and knowing what the future held she now felt it was clouded and mudded.

Sighing she got changed and went back to the small room, she picked up a pot of paint and a paint brush and continued to paint the room, but when she saw the scan photos she had for herself, mixed with the photos of her and Derek she felt herself cave and all the tears she'd denied herself crying months ago finally came pouring out and she just sat on the floor and let her heart bleed out how it needed to.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Derek had sat in his SUV and just looked up at his home, the last time he was here he had done the hardest act possible and that was leave Penelope behind.

Being back he just wanted her and now looking at her and her _'condition' _he had it all. He had everything he had dreamt about while he was away.

He shifted slightly and grabbed the small box from his pocket and opened it.

There shining up at him was a little ring, one that was so made for Penelope's finger and a ring that he made him fight the urge to drive to her. He needed to go to her with clarity, he needed to give her the answers she'd obviously spent months waiting to hear from him, she deserved that.

Penelope did not deserve to be messed around; she was too good for that.

He jumped out of his truck and went up to his house, opening the door he smelt the fresh scent and found everything to be immaculate and not dust covered and gloomy. He walked in and saw the slightly fresh flowers and he went into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

He saw the note on the fridge and grabbed it as he went for a glass.

_Stud! I made use of that key; no dust bunny lurks in this here humble abode. Pinkie promise._

It didn't need a signature; it had Penelope written all over it. He smiled and then grabbed a drink; he then just roamed his house, as though it was strange and newly bought. He was exploring and as he stepped into the bedroom he saw the bed made, the note he had written still on the bed.

He walked over a grabbed it, but found it to be a new note, one from Penelope.

_Derek, I know you're not going to read this for a long time and I wish it wasn't so but it is. You're gone. Waking up here was like heaven on earth, nothing has ever compared to it and I will wait for the day to be happen again because I'll see that it'll happen again. Just next time, I'll wake up and give you that good morning, because next time you won't be leaving. _

He said down and felt himself sit on something, looking he saw the scan photo's and CD's that were sat in wait for him. Wordlessly he just scooped them together and headed back downstairs. He grabbed the first CD and put it in the player and sat down and watched it.

There on the screen was his daughter, moving around in Penelope's stomach in 4D, opening and closing her hand, poking her tongue out, and he felt his head fall to the side as his eyes began to water. He had expected something like this but actually watching this was a totally different and more surreal thing.

He grabbed the next disk ready and the photo's and began to inspect them, looking at how his child had grown over the months and his heart broke at Penelope doing it all alone.

His head filled with her then, and he knew he had to do right by her, he was in love with Penelope, baby or no baby, and now, he was even more in love with her and nothing could change or end that. It could only strengthen that.

He sighed; he knew how it would look.

After his silence over the entire baby situation, he knew that the moment he told her he wanted her she'd immediately think it was because of the baby, that he was just doing what was morally right in the eyes of his mom and others, but it was far away from that.

He didn't want her just because of the baby, he wanted her long before that and after being separated from her for too long he found he yearned for her, he needed her touch, he needed her help when he was weakening and he needed her when the night was just too dark to sleep.

Derek knew one thing as he stood and began to leave the house.

That night sealed the deal for him.

Now he was after claiming what was rightfully his.

He wasn't about to lose out any longer. He was going to claim Penelope as his forever and he was going to make her realise just how he felt about her and their baby. Penelope was going to know how sure he was about their future and she was going to know just about every thought going on in his head.

Every abundance of emotion was about to be Penelope's.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Who wants to see the next chapter?_


	5. Grasping The Moment

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_I love how keen you all are =) Little later than usual, you're getting this as I attempt an all nighter to finish an essay... I'm failing so far and it's only coming up 1am! =/ God help me in the morning =P _

_BUT you guys get whatcha want =)_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Derek looked up at the house in front of him, he'd gone to Penelope's old apartment but found it to be vacant and bare. He went to a neighbour and the only information they could give him was that Penelope had packed up and sold the place a good 2 months ago.

He'd left the apartment block feeling disheartened some and stood by his truck as he dialled for Hotch. It didn't take long to get an address and a careful wording from Hotch.

Now Derek realised that Hotch and Penelope were a lot closer than how he left them. He wasn't worried about it, he appreciated knowing that Penelope had been well looked after and supported while he had been undercover.

Now Derek took in the house, the garden was small, which sat well suited to the house, he peered up at the windows, seeing no movement he went to the door, passing the old orange caddy as he went.

He stood with the large door in front of him and just knocked sternly, now he was nervous.

He watched as minutes later the door opened and Penelope stood beyond him, her makeup smudged, her eyes glassy and red and puffed out with over exertion of tears. He took in her beaten posture and his guilt grew.

"You found me," She said quietly and put her cheek to the door, just looking at him.

"I'm sorry for earlier," he spoke slowly, a hand going to the back of his neck in a bid to rid the nerves. "I was shocked and I'm sorry for what I put you through, I," he paused as his eyes caught hers, "You deserved so much more than what I gave you."

"I didn't expect anything, Handsome." She told him with a nickname and a short smile, "you gave me everything you could."

"Didn't stop it from hurting you in the process though."

"I'm hormonal," she waivered what happened as she pushed away from the doorframe and opened it further, "Come in." She told him and turned and walked away, one hand on her back as she went and Derek smiled at the sight.

He followed her in, looking around as he went. He saw the neutral base to the walls, the photos and art that marked the wall, adding the colour and life. He saw a lot of him and Penelope in the photos and he could swear he saw a lot of his influence to her styling.

He was falling in love with this place and the homey feel he got from it.

"I needed you around me," Penelope told him as she turned from kettle and looked at him, a cup in her hand, "I needed to surround myself with as much of you to remember that you were coming home and I wouldn't have just photos and memories," she admitted and she began to cry, "I'm sorry." She said and turned away from him and just put coffee into the cups.

Derek walked up to her, and stepped behind her and just put his arms around her, and slowly, almost cautiously he ran his hands over her stomach and all Penelope did as he kissed into her neck was put her hands on his to keep him there in that moment.

"I don't like you crying." He told her as just hugged her tightly.

Penelope rolled her eyes to stop the tears, "bad news, Morgs, now I've started I can't seem to stop. This doesn't feel real."

"What part doesn't?" He asked her casually and calmly, "what's not real?"

Penelope let his hands go and turned around, "you being here," she admitted, "I did all this without you and that hurt me in ways no one will ever know. I woke up that morning alone and I never felt happy about it." Penelope told him, "I found out I was pregnant and I was all alone and I got a new house and I'm still alone."

"Not anymore," Derek told her as he placed his hands on her hips, keeping some form of bodily contact.

"That's what doesn't feel real." She pointed out and gulped deeply, "I don't want you to not be here in the morning and it's not my place to do that. I don't have the right to keep you here, you're your own person and at the end of the day if you don't want this baby I'm not going to force you." She said and dropped her gaze, "It's not right for you to feel pressured about this, not when you've just gotten home and I don't want you here because you feel you have to be here."

Derek understood what she meant, but she didn't know what he was thinking, what he wanted. Penelope had no idea what Derek wanted to walk out of this house with. She didn't even have an inkling what was going on in his head at this moment in time because she'd become too accustomed to not having him around.

He took a deep breath; that was about to change.

"I'll admit it," he said as he looked at her, "you being pregnant, it scares me Baby Girl." He admitted and just smiled wirily, "it terrifies me and that's because I had it in my head the idea that I was coming home to you just how I left you. That you'd be the girl I regrettably left in my bed. I never thought, in a million years, that I would come back to you being the mother of my child and I have no doubt in how much you wanted me to be a part of it. The photos and DVD's at mine prove that."

Penelope's vision merged as the tears began to brew again.

"I watched that disk of our daughter and I saw her in front of me and the only thing I felt was love, I fell in love with a second girl then and it all made sense. I know you want me to be here, to be a part of this family however much you tell me it doesn't matter, I know that if I were to walk out of this house and tell you that I couldn't be the father that I would do more than break a family.

I'd be breaking your heart and ultimately, I'd end up breaking you. I can't do that because that isn't what I want. Pen, I want and need you. Always have, Baby, and God I know I always will. I don't ever want to feel what I have in the last 6 months. I want to feel what I felt that night I took you home, I want to feel like I'm the main man for a woman until I die, I need that now and I didn't know that until I got it and had to leave it."

Penelope breathed in Derek's truths, unable to form an appropriate response; her words were lodged in her throat, silencing her. So she just begged Derek to continue.

Derek smiled a little, "I love you Penelope, and I don't want to lose you," he said and sucked in the courage, "and I don't ever want to lose our baby." He said with some hints of desperation, "I want a family and I want it with you, and the one thing that caught me off guard was that it started without me."

The scared look in Derek's eyes lit up.

"I missed out on so much and I'll be forever regretting that fact. I wished I'd been there when you found out, that I could've been there to hold your hand as you saw our baby on the screens, I wished I'd been here to share them with you. I wished I'd been around to be your support and to sit proudly in the waiting room with you. I wish for so much and I'm behind on doing it."

Penelope smiled some, "you're here now, it's not too late."

"No it's not, because if there's one thing I realised a month in, it was that I was going to come home and propose to you, that I was going to make you mine for life."

"After one night? You want to chuck in the bachelor label and settle down?" Penelope asked a little unconvinced, "you think that you know what you want from just one night with me?"

"But it wasn't just one night was it, Penelope?" He asked her rhetorically, "it wasn't just that. What about the years before that? The non-dates, the phone calls, the nicknames, our entire relationship has been waiting for this final declaration and I don't see why the hell we need to sit and wait around. I don't want to; I want to have the woman I'm in love with in my life for good and forever."

Penelope found that she could do nothing more than fling her arms around Derek and just hold onto him as she began to cry harsher sobs.

"I don't ever want to lose you." She told him, "I just want you and I hated waiting for you to come back so I could tell you that. All I want is you and our baby. No one else matters to me other than you two."

Derek smiled as he realised that his daughter was already well and truly loved, that all he needed to do was help Penelope love their child and they'd be fine.

"Look in my pocket." He instructed her and Penelope pulled away and looked at him with wide, unsure eyes, "just look in my pocket and I'll show you just how much I'm serious about my life."

Penelope listened and put her hand into his pocket and pulled out a red velvet box.

"Derek..."

"Marry me." He said as he finished her sentence. "Be my own Mrs Morgan and make me the happiest man alive."

Penelope opened the box, the ring was perfect and she felt herself crying again and looked up at Derek, "tell me this isn't a dream."

"It's not, I promise you that, Baby Girl." He told her and cupped her hands in his, "I promise you I'll be here every day for forever."

Penelope bit her lip, "this is what I've wanted for what feels like a lifetime."

"Is that a yes?" Derek asked, his smile growing, his excitement trying to be kept hidden.

Penelope put her hand to his cheek, "That's a yes." She said and went up on tip toes to kiss him.

Derek swiftly took the box, took the ring and slid onto his finger and all between kisses. He then just wrapped his arms around Penelope and kissed her how he'd been dying to as he drove out of Virginia all those months ago.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _There ya go... now... for more...?_


	6. I Give To You

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_I knew there was a reason I got ahead of myself with chapters, I'm now on go slow mode, so if I hadn't had these, you wouldn't be getting updates ;) Good thing I'm prepared eh?_

_Enjoy!_

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Slipping out of the bed, Derek looked down at Penelope and smiled, he'd never felt this complete but now, now he saw a future, he saw his happiness and he felt made. He wasn't just living for the sake of it; he was well and truly living the good life.

He snuck out of the room and went in search of the nursery, Penelope hadn't taken him there but he saw the lilac paint on her clothes and he guessed straight away what it was from.

Pushing a door open he walked in and saw, as the main light came on, the boxed furniture, the bagged up toys, the folded clothes and the unfinished walls. He started to move the things to an already painted wall and he picked up one of the baby gro's and looked at it.

He laughed a little to stop the tears and he realised that Penelope was going to set out to make him a poignant part in his daughter's life, there was no way she was going to deny him or their child that. There were a few pieces of clothing that declared their daughter a daddy's girl and he couldn't wait to dress her in them and hold her and be the proud family man that had it all.

Knowing he was just too wired to sleep, he sorted the sheet on the floor out and grabbed a new paint roller and a pot of paint and set to work, wordlessly, noiselessly and completely content in finishing what Penelope had started.

He worked hard to get the walls done, not even stopping to check the time, he wanted a surprise for Penelope to wake to and he was going to get it done before the sun rose. The feeling of accomplishment washed through him as he did one last stroke of the brush and stepped back to see if there were any imperfection.

He smiled as he realised that the walls were completely finished, he turned to see another colour and he thought about adding a border. Grabbing another roller and paint pallet he set to work on the dryer walls, determination pouring from him.

Finishing that he looked at the box with the cot in it and then began to pull it out one piece at a time and then found the tools Penelope had in the room ready.

He was taking his stand now and as he held the white varnished wood he realised that this was his stamp on Penelope's life, the devotion he had already to give her, the want he had for this life, he was going to make this official.

And as all the pieces fixed together perfectly and the room began to come alive around him he could feel his excitement growing, he could feel the apprehension of being in control to look after a baby but he could see the best future possible being made.

He crawled back into bed next to Penelope just as the clouds began to lift and the sun began to brighten the sky completely exhausted.

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Penelope stretched and opened her eyes, and she smiled, she had the best sight in the word.

Derek was sleeping soundly next to her.

She laughed tiredly as she saw the light purpling of paint as it sat pronouncedly on his cheek and she just reached up to run her finger over it, to verify that he was there and not some a mirage.

He didn't disappear, he remained a full, complete apparition and then he turned and kissed the palm of her hand and then took it his hands and kissed as he slowly opened his eyes and welcomed in the sight that was in front of him.

"Morning Baby Girl," he told her and Penelope's heard hitched a little in her throat.

Penelope never thought she'd hear that again but here it was, floating around in her head and she'd never heard anything better than it before in her life.

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff," she purred at him delicately and she watched his expression brighten immediately.

"Oh you already have," he told her as he moved in and kissed her, making her collapse onto her pillows as she gave herself up to him, she allowed Derek to take over and do what he needed and give her what she needed. "So perfect," he said as he pulled away and began to dot kisses down her neck.

Penelope's curiosity got the better of her and she pushed him off, "Derek..." She started and grinned at him, showing him that she wasn't pushing him off for any other reason than that she needed to ask him something, "Care to explain how I put you to bed squeaky clean and you end up waking up with paint on your cheek please."

"Well," he began and smiled coyly, "how about I show you?"

"Lead the way." Penelope said trying to hide her thoughts from him.

Derek stood and waited for her to stand up and walk to him and just took her hand and walked her up the hallway, he then stood in front of the white door and pulled her front him. Slowly he put his hands over her eyes and leant in.

"Close your eyes," he commanded her softly and he looked and saw her eyes had now closed. "Ready, Baby Girl?"

"I was born ready, Stud." She told him confidently.

"Good," he whispered and dropped a hand to push the door open before guiding her in completely. He took his hands down and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, "open them." He said and watched as her eyes fluttered open too look at the room beyond her. "Surprise."

Penelope's eyes immediately watered at the sight she was given, the room that was taking her forever and a day to prepare was completely finished, the furniture that she'd gotten out multiple times to build and then put away after admitting defeat was now done and put together, the light fixtures up, the border down, the paint perfected, the clothes put away, the toys and teddies sporadically placed, the pictures she had ready all up on the wall.

"You did this?" She asked a little tear choked and just stood there frozen.

"Well my daughter and future wife deserve the best and this is the start of it all." Derek told her and just held her tightly, lavishing the feel of having Penelope filling his sense again. "You like?"

Penelope bit her lip as she loosened his grip herself and turned to face him, she looked up, pride, happiness and absolutely adoration shining up at him, "I love it," she said as a tear fell down her face, "God I love you." She whispered and just put her arms around his neck and put her head to his chest and just held him.

Derek clung on, not wanting to ever let go, "I love you too," Derek breathed out into her hair as he held her tightly, "I've never loved someone like this and I don't ever want to love anyone else, not now that I've gotten you."

Penelope pulled back a little and looked up at him, her eyes still tearing up, her lips still stuck in the smile. "You'll never know how hard it was to decide what to do about our baby." She confronted the dark element that had tortured her for months, "Twice I got the number ready to go to a clinic and I just could never do it."

"I'm glad." Derek told her and he just stole her gaze, keeping his eye contact on hers, "You would've regretted it and you would've caused yourself pain because you know it would've been the wrong move."

"How do you know me so well?" She asked him, hoping he wasn't just profiling her.

He leant in, their noses nearly kissing, "let's say, when you fall in love you come to know that person like the back of your hands and I know you in and out," he smiled then, "just like you know me."

"I profile you, Handsome," she said sweetly and smiled, her eyes glinting with a tease, he knew immediately she was joking with him, "now how about you take me and your daughter downstairs for food, we're hungry."

"I'll take you to the bedroom to get dressed; we're going out for breakfast. I have a fiancée to show off."

Penelope blushed, she'd forgotten about the mighty rock on her finger after becoming too caught up in the moment and his declaration startled her some, her heart beat evident in her throat, "God I don't think this life will ever, ever get old."

"It won't," he said kissing her, "It'll be just us getting old."

"Oh and I look forward to getting old if it's with you," Penelope said and accepted the kiss that Derek was waiting to give her.

All over again the passion exploded and she felt her life begin to spin flawlessly once again.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**


	7. Talking Sense

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_oops! I nearly forgot to update! Lol That's how worn out I am! =/_

_But I remembered last minute so enjoy! _

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Penelope stood in Hotch's office and just watched Derek as he worked oblivious to her glare on him.

"You just gonna stand there?" Hotch asked as he kept a couple of minutes silence, as he waited for her next move. "Penelope." He tried again to her attention. "Penelope." He said louder and watched as her head snapped around to look at him, "sit."

"I will," she told him and turned her attention, "do you believe in everything happening for a reason?" She asked as her attention remained on Derek, "because I feel like the reason Derek left was to make us realise how much we love one another, but lately, I just feel like he doesn't want me."

"I'm sure that's not true."

Penelope shrugged and then walked over and sank into a chair, "he hasn't wanted to touch me much lately, it worries me."

Hotch looked at his friend and smiled, "Ever thought he's scared?"

Penelope watched as Hotch dropped his pen and relaxed back, his chest pumping out some as he pulled his jacket around to get comfortable.

"He's been back all of 3 weeks and it's all going to be a little new. He's back to work, he's back to you and everything that should've been the same is not the same." Hotch told her, he didn't want her to think it was ending between her and Derek because it wasn't. "I was scared with Jack and I was in there from the beginning but Derek's had 3 weeks Penelope, he needs to get used to it."

"That doesn't explain why he won't touch me."

Hotch gave her a little half grin, "I did it with Haley, you're labelled now."

"Oh yeah? What's that label then boss man?" Penelope asked as she ran her hand over her stomach.

Hotch breathed out a laugh, "you're fragile cargo."

Penelope's face dropped.

Now Hotch sat forward, leaning on his chest once again, "Penelope you're pregnant, you know that, and you know your boundaries, for a man, it's, well, it's not that simple." He continued to study Penelope's features, "You might know you're body and what works, but for Derek it's not quite so easy."

"Kissing?" Penelope asked him in despair, now seeing her boss, her friend as a fountain of knowledge.

"Give him time."

Penelope nodded nonchalantly, "It's weird, I mean, I did all this on my own and believe me, I'm petrified of it all, even with Derek with me, and I thought I was going to be much calmer about it," her eyes flashed up, "but I'm not and I don't think that's a good thing to feel."

"Do you feel like Derek needs to prove his worth?" Hotch asked her as he tidied a file away.

Penelope shrugged, "he asked me to marry him, he even stayed up all night and painted the nursery, put every picture up, fixed the furniture, he's more than proved his worth and want."

Hotch smiled at her, "give the guy a chance, he'll come around, plus don't you have a scan this week?" He watched her nod, "you might see him change after that."

"You sound so certain, Charlie Brown." Penelope said as she got ready to go back to work.

"He hasn't seen his daughter up on the screen like that, he's seen the aftermath of it. He hasn't been there as you watch it live. It's a different feeling that us men get, trust me."

Penelope smiled, "You'll never know how thankful I am to have you around Aaron." Penelope relented and whispered to him a little too emotionally. "You were there when I needed someone and for that I can never, ever repay. You're definitely one of the good guys."

"All in a day's work." Hotch said as he relaxed back, that almost not there smile gracing his lips.

"No, it's not," Penelope said as she stood, "and before the superiors start hounding us for work, I'm just going to say that you're keeper." Penelope winked at him and then proceeded to leave.

It was only after she went that Hotch smiled properly and then got out his next lot of work to complete, silently vowing to have a word with Derek.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Derek had been watching Penelope more intently today, she was showing more than ever and he loved it, but he found he'd rather keep her at a distance than have her up close.

Not because he was repulsed by her, but for the sheer fact that he just loved to marvel in her existence, in her new appearance.

Whatever someone said about pregnant women glowing were right. Penelope had never looked so amazing in her entire life; and that was saying something. Derek literally saw a new aura around Penelope

"Can I borrow you a minute, Morgan?" Hotch asked bringing Derek back down to earth.

Derek looked up, his mouth agape, his eyes a little too staring, "uh, yeah, course man, what's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted a word." Hotch said and left and went back to his office, not giving any indication of what was about to be unravelled.

Derek got up and walked away from his work and desk feeling a little like a naughty school boy. He felt like he'd truly done something punishable and was being summoned away to be told exactly what.

"So..." Derek said as he stood in the doorway.

"Shut the door and take a seat, Morgan." Hotch told him and waited for him to respond. "My matter is with Penelope."

"Is she okay?" Derek asked somewhat alert and sat ready to bolt out of the room and get to her.

"She's fine, so relax." Hotch told him as he flexed back in his chair, "she's feeling a little neglected that's all." Hotch could see that Derek knew immediately what he was hinting to, "she's not going to break you know. However much you think she is, she's not going to."

Derek rubbed his hand over his head, feeling himself getting uncomfortable, "I just don't, you know, with the baby, but God I really want to have her." He then sat forward and put his head in his hands, "I just, I don't know, Man."

"She was a mess after you left," Hotch said, deviating the conversation, changing the topic, but Derek knew it was going to be of relevance, "she lost herself, she wasn't bubbly or chatty and she just about managed to keep her Penelope Garcia persona in top form for the world to see, but come home time and she just look ready to cry."

Derek looked up in disbelief, he never expected Penelope to react like that.

"I ended up going around to hers when she started to deflect questions about how she was doing, and well, she just burst into tears and told me she was pregnant. It took us 2 months to find out and when we did she broke fully. She told me she was scared and didn't know what to do, she didn't know what you would want and she hated the fact that she couldn't call you for help. That hurt her the most, you just not being there, but she understood and she had accepted it but God she worried herself sick."

"Sick?" Derek asked, hating that term.

Hotch nodded, "she ran herself into the ground stressing and we had a moment where she just near enough collapsed, literally gave us all a heart attack, but we got her seen to and I took her home and ever since she's been coming to me as her guidance, now you're back she goes to you."

"What about earlier? She was in here for ages." Derek pointed out worriedly.

"She's feeling neglected," Hotch answered him immediately, "I'm not going to coat this in sugar and make it better Morgan, she feels like you don't want her and that worries her. She needs you to just love her, and I bet when you go to the scan on Thursday you'll get told that getting it on between the sheets is perfectly fine."

Derek looked at his boss shocked.

"I remember seeing a half finish report, might wanna get that finished so you can get Penelope home at a reasonable time."

Derek got up and walked to the door, he halted and turned back, "thanks Hotch, for being there when I couldn't."

"No thanks necessary, Penelope deserves the best."

Derek smiled and nodded, "yeah she does."

Hotch looked up to see Derek disappear completely and he smiled again, his job was complete where Derek and Penelope were concerned.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**


	8. Winning Your Moods

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Another day and another chapter... cannot wait for this week to end and it's not even begun! Bring on freedom from essays I say!_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope flexed in her seat, moving to get comfortable and Derek just looked and put his hand around to her back and saw the tensed look on her face relax as he hit the spot. He could see she was getting irritable with this pregnancy now and he'd only watched for just 3 weeks. He knew if he'd have watched from day one he'd be dying at watching her like this.

"That feels so good," she said as she relaxed, partially leaning over the arms of both their chairs and towards him, "I think I need a new mattress."

"You've got a new mattress," he pointed out seeing as they had been sleeping on a brand new bed, "it's got a twenty year guarantee."

"It's not comfortable." Penelope admitted, "I can't get comfortable anywhere in that house."

Derek frowned, in all the books he'd read he knew this was going to happen. Penelope's hormones were going to be running rapid, she was going to get irritable, she was going to get whiney and above all she was going to tire more than ever. If she wasn't getting good night's sleep then her irritability was only going to escalate and he didn't want that at all.

"I'll sort it," he promised as he kissed the top of her head and let her lay her head on his chest.

He looked around the waiting room; saw all the nervous fathers, all the expectant mothers and none of them held anything on Penelope. As subjective as he was being, it was the truth and he'd hold that until the day he died.

Penelope was the most beautiful woman in his entire world.

He saw some men sit disconnected from their other halves, saw some over compensate and he hoped that he didn't come across as neither, he wanted to be everything Penelope needed him to be. He wanted to be her support, her comfort, her sanctuary.

Not overbearing and certainly not inattentive.

"These men have nothing on you," she said as she slowly sat up, flexing a little and then she took his hands, "I'm so happy you're home."

"I'm happy to be home," Derek told her and he noticed a few people look at him and begin to talk, "It's been the hardest 6 months of my life but I can really feel like everything is going to plan just as it should be."

Penelope smiled at him, her mood instantly lifting. "You know I feel like I can think about names now."

"You just needed me, Baby Girl," he teased her.

Penelope giggled a little, "I just want her to have a perfect name." Penelope told him, "nothing like mine."

Derek's brow knitted together then, "what's wrong with your name?" He asked and then leant forward, breathing heavily, his eyes glinting with some seduction, something Penelope hadn't seen for a long time, "I love you name, means I can really draw it out when I need to." He carried on telling her, "Pen-nel-lo-pe." He pulled her name apart and Penelope's lips twisted into a small grin as he went to kiss her.

"Penelope Garcia," a nurse spoke up and the pair pulled away.

"Maybe later, Stud." She told him, a teasing voice on and a smile on her lips that reached and eyes and carried on going. "For now let's go see your daughter."

"Our daughter," he said as he stood up behind her and threaded his hands in hers, making sure all the women saw the ring and the love he had for her, and then he just walked out of the room proudly.

He was now ready to get home and devour Penelope.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

He'd seen her stomach a lot since being back, but seeing her laying there in this place with the doctor next to them, he saw it in a totally different light. He watched everything vigilantly, waiting for this moment to start.

Penelope could feel her emotions growing ever more energetic in her, this was the first time she had someone here with her, someone to be her pillar and enjoy the moment with her. She grabbed Derek's hand, this was the first time she'd ever been openly apprehensive to have an ultrasound done, she was scared for the first time in months at this prospect and it was all because she had no idea how Derek was going to react.

"It's going to be cold," the doctor advised even though he knew full well Penelope knew the drill.

Penelope felt the coldness and then looked at Derek before looking at the screen, she was waiting for him to bolt or have some horrific realisation, or some other adverse emotion that her mind had conjured up to torture her.

Yet all she saw was absolutely serenity and awe on his features, his beautiful face was illuminated with a sense of pride and she could swear his eyes were welling up at the sight he was being given. She continued to watch him, not yet ready to turn away from the beauty of this sight.

"Right well I know it's only partial, but like always, everything looks okay here. She's getting quite some weight on her which is a good thing." The doctor broke the moment and Penelope finally looked up at her daughter.

"She's perfect," Derek finally mustered, his tone somewhat distance.

"That she is," the doctor agreed as he continued to do his job, "all ten fingers, all ten toes." He pointed out, more for Derek than for Penelope and he smiled, "right I'll get your copies of these and I'll be back." He said as he froze the image for them, "clean up like always and I'll meet you in my office." He said with a smile and left the pair as Penelope finished off cleaning her stomach.

Derek stood up and just kept his sights on the screen, "that was," he paused trying to think an amazing word for this moment, none mustered up to what he felt, "it was incredible."

"Always is, Hot Stuff," Penelope said as she pulled her shirt down and didn't look up at him.

"What's a matter?" He asked her as he stepped in and lifted her head up to look at him, "why the tears, Baby?"

Penelope pursed her lips, calming herself before the break, "I'm just exhausted and I've been worrying about today, about how you'd react."

"And was all that worry for nothing?" Penelope nodded, "Why'd you worry anyway?"

"I've been to all my scans alone, all those women out there always have their husbands, partners whatever, but me, it's just been me on my own, no ring on my finger, no other excuse but his job for my baby's dad not being here and today changed that. I felt like a proper pregnant woman, and I know it sounds weird but there is no worse feeling than being here on your own."

"Never again," Derek told her, kissed her and then wiped her tears away, "so does this mean we don't need to get a new mattress?" He teased her and Penelope swatted his arm.

"Let's go finish this appointment and get home." Penelope told him and with Derek's help slide off of the table and went to the door.

Derek sticking firmly behind her again.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

"What about travelling?" Derek asked and Penelope looked at him, not sure why he was asking this question, "I know at 7 months flying isn't an option, but what about driving long distances?"

The doctor smiled, "someone's done his research." He commented and sat forward, his hands cupped in one another on the desk, "well it's fine, as long as you take breaks regularly, and Penelope isn't the full on driver."

"Okay good," Derek answered, rubbing his hands in glee together, "and what about, you know..."

"Having sex?" The doctor asked and chuckled, reading Derek's expression and seeing Penelope's ever growing blush, "it's fine, healthy even. There is nothing wrong with it and trust me you'll both feel better for it." He told them with a slight smile, "anything else?"

Penelope snapped her head away from Derek and closed her mouth and calmed before going to talk, "erm, so the baby, she's definitely okay?"

Derek could hear Penelope's worry about the baby.

The doctor turned his full attention onto Penelope, "I tell you this every time you come here Penelope, she's doing amazing. Both you and her are. There are no ambiguities, no deformities, nothing. All you've got to worry about is the delivery because from here through to the end it's all about resting up and looking after you both. Literally plain sailing."

Penelope nodded, "okay," she agreed, "I'm just over thinking about things."

"You need to relax a little more, the stress isn't going to do anything positive on you, you just need to take each new day as it comes and look forward to meeting your little girl."

Derek took Penelope's hand, "Listen to the man, he knows his stuff Baby, trust him." Derek told her with a sense of ease and Penelope felt herself relax at the idea that her baby was just fine, "and we're going to take a little break, give you a break and get you some relaxation."

Penelope smiled.

"I think your fiancé has the right idea." The doctor agreed, "it's good Penelope now has a support with her."

"It's good to finally be here." Derek breezed out and then look at Penelope, "Let's go home, I intend to get you relaxing the best way possible." He then winked at her and saw a totally different persona overcome her.

He knew he'd won then.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**


	9. Calming Your Woes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Hope you continue to enjoy, sorry about all the late responses to reviews, hope you're all enjoying still =) _

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

"Can you just stop the car," Penelope broke the silence that has descended throughout the car as they drew closer to Chicago. "Please," he voice quivered some, "Please, Derek, just stop the car!"

"Okay, okay, Baby, I'm gonna pull over, I just need to find a gas station." Derek said calmly, trying not to get distracted by her sudden mood swing, "there's one just a couple of miles up."

"No!" Penelope said as she undid her seatbelt in agitation, "Just please pull over and let me out of the car."

Derek listened and indicated and pulled over onto the side of the highway, immediately turning off the engine as Penelope bolted from her seat and walked away from the SUV. It didn't take him long to follow her out, he was beyond worried as she walked rubbing her stomach almost systematically.

"Pen..." He called out to her, the sky was darkening as evening set in and he just watched her halt and look out at the horizon. "Talk to me Penelope." He coerced her.

Penelope turned back and now he saw the tears on her face, her face drawn with worry and angst. "Why are we doing this?" She asked him as though she had no idea at all, "Why are we going to Chicago?"

Derek stepped in closer, "to see my family, I need them to see the woman that stole my heart."

"But have I?" She asked him, "I was for one night, Derek that was it. We're nothing more than that, you've had me for one night and now I'm your forever?"

"Baby, that's not true and you know it. We're so much more than that and we always will be."

"Are we? Or are we just a reaction of being separated? Did you plan to come back to me like this, Derek? Or did you expect to find the same old plain Garcia that I've always been? We were just best friends with that little added kick before that night and out of fear of losing you I admitted my biggest darkest secret and look where it got us."

"It got us to be happily in love with the best thing ever happening."

Penelope began to cry at that, she knew she was being irrational but this had been eating away at her, all of the insignificant things were just burning away at her inside and playing on her subconscious. She knew it was now just the realisation that Derek wasn't going to leave her again and that he was here to stay and she knew stressing wasn't a good plan but she couldn't help herself, simple as.

"But we did it under false pretences, we made promises we shouldn't have that night. I don't know what you did while you were away and I'm only left to fantasise about it and all those women you had before me. What if one of them ended up like me?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa Baby Girl. What the hell do any of them have to do with this exactly?"

Penelope threw her hands up in the air, "I'm one of them, one night Derek, one night just over eight months ago you and me were each other's one night stand and I can't quite get that out of my head and now we're going to Chicago so I can be paraded around like some show piece and we don't even know if you're family are going to like me!" She almost screamed at him, "families have expectations, I know that, and I'm not going to be what they expect from you. I am never what a man like you should have. I am not that type of woman."

"You are in my life." Derek argued back, his need to defend his love overriding. "You're what I want and need, Penelope and to hell with my family. This is about us and our baby. No one else should matter." He told her. "And they will love you; there is nothing not to love." He said as he finally got in front of her, close enough to wipe her tears and get her to look at him.

"I'm not the type of girl you usually have." Penelope admitted, she'd never felt this insecure in Derek's love but lately she just felt she wasn't reaching the expectations Derek had. "I'm not slim, and I'm not beautiful, and I'm never going to be."

"Who says you're not beautiful, because you are the most beautiful thing ever to me." Derek spoke the truth, he didn't care if he was declaring it in the side of a road, he could be in the middle of a supermarket and not care, he could be at work and not give a care to who was watching. "All those months I lay in my bed looking at the same spot and all I could see was you. I closed my eyes and I saw you, I slept and I saw you, it's always been you, Baby Girl." Derek said grabbing her hands, determined to get it into her head how infatuated he was with her, "Since day one it's been you. My normal type is not my favourite type, I didn't want a girl like you because you were the only one that fitted my type and I didn't want a substitute."

Penelope's mouth dropped a little, and then closed, as though she was trying to form words.

"Do you want the truth of what I want from you exactly?" Derek asked her, his tone low, guiding, loving.

Penelope nodded slowly, her tears not ceasing at all.

"I want to stay in bed on a Saturday morning and you know have some _fun_; I wanna hold hands whenever and wherever; I wanna love your fears and hate your tears. I want us to fall asleep on the couch together and wake up to a pile of kids on top of us and I want to pick you up and carry you off and feel like Monday morning is so far off that the weekend might as well be like a lifetime's length away. I want to do that with you because only you make me see any of that."

Derek cupped Penelope's face in his hands and made her look at him as he looked deep into her tearful brown orbs.

"Only you drive me crazy and only you keep me happy. You're my light, my strength, my heart, my soul. Penelope you're my entire life." Derek confessed and smiled at her, "You're my everything and more."

"I'm sorry," Penelope said feeling pathetic as Derek's words finally penetrated her mind and she finally believed them and her mood lifted, "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You're pregnant, Baby Girl, and there's nothing wrong about that." He said and wiped her cheeks of fresh tears with his thumbs, "It's incredibly sexy on you." He told her and kissed her lips gently.

"I will always love you, and I will never feel any differently. My life is about you and our daughter, and whatever other children are going to come." Derek smiled more at that, "my life is devoted to keeping you happy and loved, and I will see that you are kept that way until my last breath."

"Don't make that happen too soon." Penelope told him, "I need you for a lot longer than just a few months."

"I promise you we'll be grey and babysitting great, great, _great_ grandkids when that happens." He teased her, "I would've taken you to Chicago a long time ago but we never had a reason or the moment. Now we do."

"I'm just worried." Penelope whispered lowly.

"Penelope, I was told that a man's next actions will always be his defining moments, and they'll make a man for life. So I want you as my wife Penelope, I want to be defined as the happiness man alive and I will show my family that you make me that. They will know that you complete me fully."

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Hope you enjoyed the mini dose of angst, and thank you wordofwyrd for inspiring this! ;)_


	10. Proving To You Fully

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Glad the added angst didn't kill for you =)_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

The moment she got out of the car she felt how exhausted one straight drive had been on her. Near enough 13 hours and she was more than ready for her bed, she wanted a bath and a cuddle and still she wanted a good cry.

As much as she saw Derek's happiness grow she didn't want to be here, she didn't want to be introduced as his pregnant fiancée because there was one explanation everyone would jump to.

Derek was doing right by Penelope. He got her pregnant and he would marry her.

It didn't matter what she thought, or Derek, every other person's opinion could become overbearing for her to take. She didn't want judgement, she wanted perfection because she knew above all that Derek and her baby deserved that and that was all she wanted.

"You okay?" Derek asked as he came to her side and found her sitting in the car with her legs hanging out, like she was ready to get out but decided against it, "I think we need to get you in and to bed, Baby Girl."

"I think that would be a plan, Hot Stuff." She agreed and smiled, "I've worn myself out over thinking."

"Before we go in can I ask why you keep thinking I'm just doing this with other motives other than loving you?" He watched her look at him.

"Tell me you won't get angry." Penelope asked him.

"I won't."

"Promise?" She pushed.

"I promise."

"Kevin." She said flatly, "after you left he tried to get me back and when he found out I was pregnant he told me it was worthless, that it was a one night stand mistake and I guess where I was back all those months ago, with how I was feeling and where my head was, I believed him. Stupidly believed him." She said and began to cry, "I don't doubt you, Handsome, it's hard to when all you've done is been here and loved me and loved out baby, but occasionally I can't help my hormones from taking over and it kills me inside to know I'm being irrational and it kills me even more to know that when it's all said and done all I've resulted in doing is hurting you the most."

"I'm still here aren't I?" He asked her, "you're welcome to have insecurities baby, you did so much on your own for so long and all I can do is slip in and help you. You're allowed to have your doubts, but just remember whatever you say to me, whatever you do I will be the man that holds you through the night and I will be that man that loves you."

Penelope sobbed a little.

"I love you so much," Penelope said and Derek remembered the night they made love, how in the moment that sentence was and how full of conviction and truth it was, "It's only ever been you and I took you for granted, I thought you'd always be around and then you weren't." Penelope locked eyes with Derek then, "It was so lonely without you." She said and her voice cracked even more, "I hate living like that."

"Good thing I came back," Derek said as he kept his emotions in check, "now let's get you in Baby." He said and helped her down; he then laced an arm around her back and waited for her to look up at him, "I don't think I tell you enough I love you."

"Everyday it's implied." Penelope said and felt Derek's lips join to hers in a soft agreement; she looped her arms around his neck and enjoyed the moment, savoured in it and felt her doubts wash away.

All she needed to do was meet the Morgan's. Her soon to be family.

Pulling apart she felt some ease take over and for once, after telling Derek about Kevin, Penelope felt another part of her come to peace and all the insecurities about other women dispersed.

"Let's do this."

"I think you two should get a move on, it's quite chilly out tonight." Came a sweet, feminine voice from the porch and both the pair snapped their heads to see Fran Morgan and her one of her daughters standing there. "It's late and I'm sure you need your rest."

Derek near enough beamed at the sight of them and Penelope's heart swelled. She knew if she could ever see her mom again she would do the same. She would be the happiest woman in the world to just have her mom wait on a doorstep for her to come home.

"How long have you been there?" He asked as he helped Penelope as then shut the door.

"Long enough to see that my brother is now head over heels in love."

"Desi, play nice." Their mom warned.

"I am," she defended and then she saw Penelope and her eyes widened. "A little warning that I'm going to be an Auntie imminently next time brother!" She said, keeping her excitement down a bit, and stepped off of the porch and ignored her brother and went to Penelope, she smiled at her and wrapped her arms around the red head, "It's so good to finally meet you."

Penelope smiled, "you too, your brother speaks a lot of you and Sarah." Penelope looked at Fran and felt herself blush, "and a lot more about you."

"Always was a mommy's boy was my son." Fran teased her son and followed Desiree and went down the steps and gave Penelope a hug, "I've waited too long for this." She whispered in Penelope's ears. "Welcome to the family." She said as she pulled off, "and I'm betting you're hungry and could use a bath and a bed?"

"Seems we're on the same wave length." Penelope commented as Fran led her into the house, leaving Derek to grab the bags with his sister and trail in behind, "Maybe I should help with the bags."

"Knowing my son, you would have been pushed in here long before he let you near that SUV again."

Penelope laughed as she was sat down on the comfort of the couch and she just closed her eyes at the pleasure she felt from it, the ease she got on her back and bliss it was to be in a homey feeling home.

"How was the car journey?" Fran asked as she came in moments later.

Penelope opened her eyes, not realising she had shut her eyes at all, she pushed herself up, "Tiring, I'm surprised Derek's not killed me to be honest."

"Oh you get emotional on him? Make problems that weren't there at all?" Fran asked knowingly and laughed gently at Penelope's befallen expression, "He's his father's son that's for sure," she commented and handed Penelope a drink, "it's all perfectly normal, and if he has any sense he'll understand it."

"He does," Penelope said quietly and diverted her eye contacts. Everything she believed to be true was all and misconception. She felt a sense of love coming off of Fran the moment she saw her. "How does it feel to finally get your first grandbaby from Derek?"

Fran smiled, "he told you I pressure him then?" Penelope nodded, "well let's just say, my son's a late bloomer, and he was a little slow getting to the point so I guess I can forgive him for finally getting his act together and getting you after all these years and to get that grandbaby on top of it all just makes me feel very blessed."

"Stop talking about me." Derek said as he came in and dropped the bags down before turning and taking the ones his sister had, "I don't need Penelope having some warped vision of me."

"Ah Handsome, you're too Godlike to be warped like that." Penelope teased, her energy strangely replenished, "Plus only I get to that."

Fran sat back, her cup of coffee clasped between her hands and watched Penelope tease her son and saw how Derek reacted, how comfortable he was, how challenged he was and she had to smile, she knew her son was in the perfect hands with Penelope.

"Oh and don't I know it Princess," Derek said as he came up behind the couch and leant over and kissed Penelope. "You feeling any better?"

"Much better." She confirmed and smiled, "You look tired now we've finally stopped."

"I could sleep like a baby."Derek said as he Penelope put her hand to his cheek and he pressed into it and closed his eyes at the touch.

"No change there then eh?" She said as she ran her other hand over her stomach. "I say you have a drink and hit the hay, Hot Stuff."

"I want to get you two up there first." Derek told her, his voice soft with concern, "Now's my turn to stress over you."

"You've been stressing over me enough," Penelope told him and sat up as she felt a twinge in her stomach, her hands immediately going to stomach as she panicked inwardly.

"Penelope?" She heard around her.

Derek rushed around to be in front of her, dropping down to be in front of her, "Baby Girl what's a matter?" He asked her, his hands on her lap ready, his face contorted in worry and fleeting fear. "What's wrong?"

"Hang on," Penelope said distantly, her calmness making the moment scarier and then she began to do shake her head, it picking up speed as her panic began to seep out.

"Penelope..."

Derek watched as she looked up at him, her eyes wide and filled with almost wild fire, "I think I'm getting contractions."

Derek looked at his mom as he felt lost.

"How long have you been getting these Penelope?" Fran asked as she dropped to Penelope's other side.

Penelope looked at Fran, a little apprehensive to answer.

"C'mon, you can tell us..." She eased her into answering.

"I was getting them this morning, before we set off, but I just put them off to being nothing. They've been too far apart for me to worry about, but now..." She didn't even need to answer as another hit her.

Derek took charge and began to prove how much he really was all in.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

A/N: Ahh cliffie! Is baby Morgan coming now? Who wants more?


	11. Moment's Like This

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Thankfully I have enough updates ahead of me for me to write essays and give you updates =P That's planning that is!_

_I'll catch up reviews again soon! Promise! =)_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

"You shoulda said something," Derek said as he sat with Penelope on the bed waiting on the midwife to come back, his mom was stood nearby, his sister in a chair watching on anxiously.

"They weren't this bad, and I mean now," She said and shrugged, "They're there but nowhere near as close as they were at the house."

"I knew I should've tried harder, I should never have left," Derek berated himself harshly, his tone tight, "If I hadn't we wouldn't be here."

"You're right we wouldn't." Penelope said and put her hand on his shoulder, shaking it reassuringly, "We wouldn't be having any sort of discussions about names, and routines, and futures because we wouldn't have been in the predicament that led us here."

Derek looked up at her.

"Everything happens for a reason." Penelope stated poignantly and her eyes lit up at him.

"Why are you so calm right now? We don't know what's happening with the baby or with you for that matter." Derek worried and put his hand over hers and pulled it down to his lap.

"I'm over my biggest fear now." She told him with a smile.

"What was that?" Derek asked her a little slowly, trying to decide what it was.

"Someone else's family making me feel loved." Penelope finally spoke and Derek understood why Penelope was so anxious and worried all these months, it was all about his family loving her.

"Told ya they would, Baby." He said and leant in and kissed her, "I never doubt those two behind me."

"You were worried about meeting us?" Desiree asked out as she sat up in her chair.

Penelope nodded, "call it bad experiences," she stated lowly and as her eyes connected with Fran's she felt another sense of family slot back in, something she had never felt around Kevin's and something she hadn't felt since her parents died. "Kevin's family never included me."

"Ah the ex?" Fran asked, she'd had Derek speak about Kevin many a times, telling her how he wouldn't break Pen's heart to sort his own. She watched Penelope look up in shock and she smirked, "Seems the pair of you spent way too long being blind to what was right in front of you."

"You spoke about Kevin?" Penelope asked Derek in a near enough disbelieving one, "Why couldn't you talk to me?"

Derek smiled uncomfortably at that question, "You were hurting after Battle and all I wanted for you was to move on, to get over what happened. Kevin was that. I didn't want you to think that I was only telling you I loved you because that stupid argument ended with you getting shot. That was never what I wanted."

"And now?"

"We're here because I asked one thing of you," He told her as he ran a hand through her hair, studying the look in her eyes as they began to glint with a new film of tears, "I asked for the best memory to come back to and you gave it to me."

Penelope's smile grew and a tear dropped, "I'm glad you came home, I'm glad we're getting time to share these moments."

A knock at the door broke the moment up and everyone looked at the midwife from earlier, she smiled as she entered and approached the bed.

"I've spoken to the doctor, Penelope, and he's advised you go home," she saw Penelope's face knit with confusion and worry, "There's nothing wrong, you just had what we call false labour, it can be expected, and the pattern of you contractions show that there's nothing alarming, the baby's vitals are fine, you're waters haven't broken and the contractions have worn off. We just advise bed rest and as little stress as possible."

"Are you sure that's right?" Derek asked her dubiously.

The midwife nodded, "It's common later on in pregnancies for Braxton hick's contractions to become alarmingly like real labour and it's good you came in, even if we're now sending you home now. It just means your body's getting ready for the birth."

Penelope didn't need telling twice, "Let's go, Handsome." Penelope spoke in an eager tone, ready to get home to a proper bed, feeling even more exhausted than ever and this time it was from lack of sleep and not an overhaul of emotions.

Derek had nothing left to do but thank the midwife and get Penelope back to his mom's where he could be even more on top of looking out for Penelope and his baby. He helped Penelope off the bed while his mom and sister went for the car.

"Sure you're gonna be able to do that again?" Penelope asked as they walked to the elevator, she kept close, her hand locked in his.

"Sure will," he told her kissed the top of her head as they walked, "I'll make sure I'm less panicky next time."

"You were just perfect this time," Penelope commented, "If I didn't know months ago that you were all in I do now."

"I promised to never leave you, I love you, nowhere I need to be right now, or ever be but here."

Penelope smiled as they made their way to the car; she'd seen Derek burn through multiple emotions from worrying about her, to being a mad man wanting her in the hospital, to becoming calm at the hospital and to loving her every step of the way.

Derek fuelled a whole other love in her, he was more powerful, and more heated, so much more alluring. He opened parts of her heart and soul she didn't even believe were accessible, he made her the best person she could be and he gave her the feeling that a happy family in their job was doable, that the darkness and evil they saw wasn't a problem. Derek continually fuelled her want for a happily ever after because he was the only man she'd come in contact with that offered it to her and wanted it as much as she did.

It wasn't until later that night that Penelope rolled over, unable to sleep, curling into Derek's side, her hand went to his chest and in that moment she took the plunge and said one of the things no one else knew.

"I dreamt I lost you," she whispered, not sure if he was awake or not but she had this overwhelming urge to just get it off of her chest, "I'd just found out I was pregnant and I dreamt that someone turned up at the BAU to tell us you'd been shot and all I could feel as I listened to him tell us how it happened was coldness. It was so real and the pain was so consuming and I honestly thought I'd lost you for good."

Penelope took a break, trying to keep down her emotions.

"I dreamt a couple of months later that you fell in love with someone else and you came home to tell me you were leaving for good. I've never felt emotional pain be that crippling and damning and you just looked at me, with eyes that weren't yours and you just said it," she sucked in a breath, "I never loved you, how could I? You're Penelope." She sniffed at the memory, "Then you walked out and I ran after you and it was such a struggle, every time I got close you were miles ahead again, and when I finally reached you, you had someone else in your arms." Penelope continued to look out towards the curtained window, "She looked at me and I all I saw was me."

"Ever thought that was the you I left?" Derek whispered into the darkness, his voice telling her he hadn't been asleep at all, "Because when I came back I was expecting the you I left, not the you, you are now."

"It hurt so much."

"I know it did, Baby Girl, but they were just dreams, nasty, nasty dreams." He said as he let her go so he could shift to face her, he laid down back down looking directly at her, his eyes soft, illuminated with love, "You gave me a reason to come home and even though I loved you then, I love you more than anything else in this world and I want this to stay this perfect forever."

"Only we can make that happen, Hot Stuff," Penelope whispered softly as Derek's hand ran down her face as he watched over the serene look on her face, "If we want it hard enough, we can keep it here forever."

"Perfection's gonna be here forever when I see you holding our little girl."

Penelope smiled brightly and closed her eyes sleepily just as Derek moved in and kissed her, the silence around them scarily calm and surprise of the moment claiming her before she settled into his almost seductive kiss comfortably.

If Penelope had to say anything in that moment it would be that she was in heaven, their daughter was just the icing on the cake.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _I know you all wanted Baby Morgan here, but well... soon! Lol _

_Who wants that soon now?_


	12. Wanting And Having

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**A lot later than usual, but here it is guys, sorry about the still-no-replies... tomorrow when I'm free of essay writing!

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

"They say a daughter really proves a man's a man, so well done Handsome." Penelope teased as she clap her hand to his as he made to her sit while life continued to go on around her; Derek was sat next to her, his arm pulling her comfortably close.

"I proved I was a man when I finally got the best girl going." Derek commented a little distantly as he kissed Penelope's temples, "I'm disappointed she didn't come yesterday."

Penelope pushed a hand to Derek's hand as she sat up a little, "Really?" She asked him, she had to admit that she thought that was it yesterday, that months of waiting were up.

"Everything was so right, you were ready I could tell, half the family were around and then we were sent home again." He told her truthfully, "I just really wanna hold her."

"Derek Morgan you're nothing but a big softy nowadays." Penelope teased with a bright smile, "If this is after one kiddie, what are you going to be like after seven eh?"

Derek looked at her shocked, his eyes wide, his lips parted.

"Okay, so maybe not seven, but I want multiple Morgan kiddie-winks, Handsome."

"Oh I plan for a big family, Baby Girl, but I wasn't sure you'd wanna go that big."

"And why not?" Penelope asked him gently, "You promised me falling asleep on the couch and waking up to us being covered in kids; we need more than this little girl to do that." Penelope told him as she ran her hand over her stomach proudly.

Derek's smile broadened at her then, he leant in and kissed Penelope lustfully, his hand going up the side of her face, pushing into her hair, "you know," he started between each touch of their lips, "if we were at home," he continued, "I'd have had you by now."

Penelope smiled as she continued to kiss him, "well, someone's gonna have to wait until the midnight hours." She said and kissed him one last time before pulling apart and looking right at a new face, "Sarah I'm guessing?" She asked embarrassed, trying to kill the atmosphere with friendly conversation, her cheeks flushing with red as she stared at the woman's face.

"Penelope I'm guessing?" She asked in return, and smiled, "Well that's a first."

Derek slowly turned to look at his sister.

"Mom's couch?" She asked sarcastically, "How old are you?" She asked teasingly, her face showing she was having him on completely, amusing Penelope as she went.

Derek shot her his childlike grin and shrugged, "never did it when I was younger now I've got the perfect girl thought it was about time I tried it." He defended playfully, "so, Sarah meet Penelope, my..."

"The girl that finally got you to sort your act out." She said and looked passed Penelope and smiled, "It's about time he got you here to meet us, it's only take him, oh, erm, 6 years." She said as she taped her car key to her lips, "He didn't even give me and Des chance to be the best aunties-to-be."

"Oh boy," Derek said as he stood up, "And it starts," he said and looked at Penelope, "You remain there, you hear?"

Penelope put her hands up in defence, "I'll remain here all the while you behave yourself, Hot Stuff." Penelope gave him a truce, she winked at him, "we all know this isn't gonna last long."

"I'll sit with her," Sarah jumped in, "I just need to see mom and then I'm finally going to get to know all the stuff that's been building up to be asked."

"Baby Girl, do you enjoy the hot seat?"

Penelope knew where this was going, "Well you see Handsome, I might be rail-roaded with questions, but there's so much I wanna know about you... like..."

"Uh oh," Derek groaned.

Penelope giggled, "When you decided to shave the afro off."

"You're terrible," Derek said as he sat on the coffee table and looked up at Sarah.

Sarah laughed, "It's okay Penelope; I think we both have the answers to questions we both wanna know on my brother." Sarah said and went off to the kitchen already liking Penelope and the ease she brought to her brother.

"Oops," Penelope said, her blush still very much in place, "That could've gone better."

"You've won her over already." Derek told her and leant forward to finish that kiss off the way her had intended to.

"So you never made out on a couch eh?" Penelope asked amused.

Derek shrugged and shot her a teasing grin, "I was experimental." He told her and Penelope giggled, "But there's a first for everything." He finally managed to get close enough to finish the kiss.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope had never been surrounded by so much family in years and she never once felt like an outcast to it, she was one of the Morgan women now, even if no wedding had confirmed it. She sat and listened to them tease Derek, who in turned teased his sisters and everyone took their turn in doing so.

They all helped Penelope learn the history of her man and in turn she was falling even deeper in love with him than she though ever possible.

She knew it was only a matter of time before she was bombarded with more questions than Sarah had asked her earlier, and she knew, she couldn't, for the life of her, deny them the answers, not when they had given so much of their family history.

"So how did you meet?" One of Fran's brothers asked as dinner came to close and the chat was picking up more and more.

Derek slid his hand onto Penelope and entwined their fingers together, she smiled, "We were at work, I wasn't formally a part of Derek's team so I was just a tech." Penelope said politely and looked at Derek as she smiled, "Someone called Gomez out, no one responded, I didn't take a blind bit of noticed, it wasn't me and I had work to do, and then the man next to me spoke a little louder and called out Baby Girl."

"And you turned?" Des asked.

"Well unless Derek was calling one of the 20 odd males in the room baby girl then I had to." She teased with a small smile, "I don't think I've seen him look so apologetic in all his life and that was it, I slowly got taken into the team with each knew case."

Sarah's husband sat up then, "How does a woman like you get into the FBI exactly?" He asked her and then he sat back, "I mean no offence but you're nothing like I pictured considering Derek met his baby girl at work."

Penelope laughed and put her head down, trying to think of way to word this without sounding like some crazy geek.

"Pen's the country's, and I'm pretty sure world's, best oracle." Penelope looked at him then, and he laughed, "Pen's a hacker and world class at it." He declared proudly.

Penelope heard multiple gasps and questions and looked up at all the eyes on her, "I basically trained myself to hack documents that I shouldn't be able to, it happened after my parents died and it just took over my life, kind of took the pain away, but I wasn't good enough to cover every track back then and I was arrested."

"So shouldn't you be in jail?" Someone called out.

"I should be, yes, but I was offered a deal. Guess they thought it'd be better to have me on their side than against them."

"What type of deal?" Desiree asked, completely intrigued.

"20 years labour for the FBI, anything they so ask, I have to do, so no if, buts or maybes. I've only reached half way so it should be a fun decade ahead."

Silence settled around before Fran spoke up, "So does that mean they could still move you?" From the expression she received Penelope hadn't thought about it, "I mean they can't surely? Not if you have a child and a husband."

"Strauss wants to move Penelope and she'll have a whole team against her and one angry husband." Derek said, his voice a near enough growl and he looked as Penelope brought her other arm up to calm him. "She's tried before to break the team, Baby Girl, she'll keep trying." Derek fretted.

"You seem to have forgotten your earlier words, Handsome."

"What's that?"

"I'm a world class hacker." Was all Penelope said to finish that conversation.

"So when did you two final act?"

"The night before I went undercover," Derek said and he could fell Penelope stiffen some next to him at that response; her moment of truth was here.

Des tilted her head and scrunched her nose, "See that is really romantic, like it was like a bit of lost hope and something to hold onto."

"Yeah, like it was a reminder of what to come back." Sarah agreed immediately.

"That's exactly what it was," Derek said as he put his arm around Penelope and pulled her in, "and boy, my Baby Girl still managed to surprise me when I got back." He spoke gently as he pressed a kiss to Penelope's temple

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Little family togetherness... now... who's for more?_


	13. All Expected

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Essays all gone, well for the time being! But I nearly didn't get this done! _

_Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favourites, you lot have made my week a lot less work based that's for sure! =) _

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Derek woke up to a scream, a near bloodcurdling, heart wrenching scream and immediately shot up and saw Penelope sitting up, her head in her hands as she sobbed heavily.

"Baby?" He asked gently, pulling her into his grasp as she shook. "Another dream?" He asked as he kissed into her hair.

All she could do to answer was nod, her tears shaking her body so violently that her throat seemed to close up with the wrenching of tears.

Derek heard a knock on the door, "Come in," He shouted out and his mom stepped in, the same worried look on her face as she'd had the past few nights.

"Another one?" She asked, her tone gentle, almost a whisper as she stepped in.

Penelope calmed as Fran got closer and looked up, "I'm sorry," she said and felt pitiful in that moment, "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Fran knew exactly and she could've kicked herself for not picking up on it sooner, "Derek, baby, can you go and grab Penelope a drink for me please?" She asked and Derek didn't answer, just kissed Penelope gently and began to pull away.

"You be okay, Sweetness?"

Penelope smiled meekly, "course I will," she said hoarsely, the tears playing on every chord of her voice.

Derek gave one more kiss and left completely, leaving his mom alone with Penelope, giving the time they needed to discuss whatever was plaguing Penelope and hopefully getting to the bottom of.

Fran sat on the edge of the bed, in the new darkness and ran her hand over Penelope's face, pushing from of the unruly hair away, she could tell that she'd had a less from perfect sleep and had fought with whatever her dream was made up of.

Gently, Fran lifted Penelope's head to look at her and saw the despair in her eyes.

"What's bothering you Penelope?" She asked her quietly, her tone full of its usual motherly, soothing elements.

Penelope's lip quivered.

"C'mon, you can't get over this without letting it out." She said calmly and smiled, "I bet your mom always said a problem halved is a problem shared didn't she?"

Penelope nodded.

"So come on, share so we can half." She coerced, not sternly, but enough to let Penelope open up.

"I keep dreaming that she's born and something goes wrong," Penelope said and burst into tears, "I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Oh Penelope, why would you think that?"

"B-Because you hear it everywhere," Penelope said heartbrokenly, "You hear about child snatchers, and nurses that do something wrong, or deliveries gone wrong, or sudden cot death, or..."

Fran grabbed Penelope's shoulders to stop her self-destructive tirade, "nothing is going to happen."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I'm mom," She answered her, "Plus the likelihood of that happening are so, _so_ slim, the doctor's know she's fine, as are you, so what is it that causing you to have these dreams?"

"The other day, when we thought I was in labour, I was ready for it to happen and then it stopped." Penelope said, "and Derek's right, I've exhausted myself and it's now playing on me. I'm done with this pregnancy; I just want to have her now."

"Spoken like a true woman," Fran told Penelope with a bigger smile on her lips, "You'd have something considered seriously wrong if you weren't cranky or irritable Penelope, the last trimester does that to you. It becomes a waiting game and it wreaks all kinds of havoc on a woman."

"The nightmares," Penelope began to fret.

"I'm gonna go with perfectly normal, Dear, that little girl knows when she's ready to make her entrance and when she does it's going to go fine. I don't want to hear a word out of you wondering if it's an omen, because it's not, omen's aren't allowed anywhere near my gorgeous grandbaby you hear?"

Penelope nodded; a smile on her lips, "Thank you."

"It was nothing, Penelope," Fran told her, a hand on Penelope's.

As she went to stand Penelope grabbed her hand and kept her there a moment longer, the silence gathering around them, "Don't call it nothing," she finally said and Fran sat down more comfortably, "I've not had a mother figure around me for so long that to finally have one my world feels like it's finally making sense." Penelope admitted softly, her eyes dropping to her and Fran's hands as they sat in one another's, "I, kind of," she shrugged, "forgot what it felt like, you know?" She asked as she looked up, her eyes watering, "I never thought about finding my one and I never even contemplated a family and then it all happened and it happened in one night."

Fran remained silently.

"The last night we had together before he left I just held him so close, not because I didn't want him to leave but because I didn't want him to see how scared I was about the prospect of him leaving me," Penelope held Fran's eye contact, "and then I got a dream come true," she said and shook her head slightly as her the tears rolled down her cheeks slowly, "and then I woke up in his house, alone, his side of the bed stone cold and it felt like some sort of nightmare."

"Oh Penelope..."

"I was so used to just seeing him, or picking up the phone and hearing his voice and then it just stopped, and the next day, and every day after and I realised that no one really truly understood the emotions I was going through..."

"Except for your mom?" Fran asked and Penelope nodded her head, making the tears fall slightly faster. "I know your mom isn't around, but I need you to know and understand that whatever the problem, whenever, you can just pick up the phone and call me and I will always pick up."

Penelope's lips pursed as she held back the awaiting onslaught of tears.

"I know we've only truly met one another for a short time, but I knew more about you the moment Derek knew, Penelope, and you are my daughter, and were the moment I got a hug from you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Penelope managed and smiled again, "thank you, Fran, it means a lot to know that you accept everything that's happened."

"You make my son happy, extremely happy and he does the same for you and that is all that matters to me Penelope. Is that my children are happy."

"She keeps me more than happy," Derek said as he came into the room, he smiled at Penelope and handed her a drink, then handed his mom one too, "how you doing?"

"I think we sorted the problem." Fran commented and look at Penelope for a approval on the statement.

"Do I get to know?" Derek asked a little apprehensively.

Fran look at Penelope, feeling this was her place to back away and allow Penelope to let Derek in. This was a moment to show one another a true test of their love and devotion for one another.

"I'm worrying about the baby," Penelope told Derek, her tone almost sorrowful, "about after she's born, about something going wrong, or us losing her. I'm worrying about what happened the other day, I'm panicking about things I shouldn't be."

Derek was instant with his response, "It's called being a first time mom," he told her and shocked her, he took in his mom's expression as well as Penelope's and smirked, "I've read a baby book or eight." He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, "You're allowed to be anxious and I mean the come about of you getting pregnant wasn't normal, but then when are we, Baby Girl?" He asked her lovingly, "Just realise that when the moment is really about to happen, you're gonna be so excited that everything no longer matters."

"On that note I'm going back to bed," Fran threw in satisfied and leant forward a kissed Penelope on the cheek, "I think you're in safe hands here."

"Thank you," Penelope said and then the last word just slipped out, "Mom."

Penelope went to apologise, but Fran smiled larger, "anytime, Penelope, now get some sleep." She then left but as she got to the door, "the both of you."

Penelope looked at Derek and he just smiled at her, a smile that might not mean anything to anyone else but to Penelope it spoke volumes, it told her that everything was going to be fine, that life was going to be the best it was ever going to be.

"Can I get this yummy mommy back to sleep now?" He asked her and Penelope nodded and let him pull her down gently, and as he lay there he ran his hand onto her stomach, soothing both her and the baby, "You calling her mom means a lot to all of us, Baby, you know that?"

"I finally have a family, I intend to cherish it."

"You learn fast," Derek said and then continued to speak to her, nothing of any significance but the last thing Penelope held as sleep captured her was, "I think I have the most perfect name ready."

When she opened her eyes the light was brighter, she actually felt rested and her entire body was full with anxieties and worries, she was excited and as she turned her head gently to come face to face with Derek as he'd obviously been watching her sleep.

She matched his smile and stretched a little before settling and just staring back at him.

"I swear if being bald means I wake up looking half a good as you, I say grab the shaver now, Hot Stuff."

"Oh no," Derek disagreed, his tone low and sexual, "You're not getting near a shaver." He told her, "If I let you get rid of that, how the hell am I supposed to do one of my favour hobbies exactly?"

"Oh..." Penelope giggled as she sat up on her elbow, "What hobby is this then?"

Derek didn't tell, he just ran his hand up the side of her face, barely grazing her cheek and then carried on until his hand was in her hair and then he pulled her closer and all within that one gentle motion he gave one of his deep, heated, Godlike kisses.

Pulling back Penelope looked at him, her lips bruised from the kissed, tingling with perfection.

"Oh," she managed as her eyes slowly came to open, her mind understanding purely what it was he was getting at, "that hobby."

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _C'mon... chuck some names at me... I want the best names possible offered here =P_ _Don't think I'm joking either lol_


	14. Unadulterated Love

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Sorry for no update yesterday, I had work and I was beyond tired when I finally got home and just ended up chilling out... BUT I hope this makes up for it =)_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope lay with a sleepy smile on her face, after becoming even more uncomfortable with the pregnancy, she found herself relaxing more and more in bed.

Each time with Derek by her side.

This time, unlike the others, the evening rolled in slowly, the sun set, and the street lights took precedence of natural lighting and she found herself laying on the bed, getting more and more tired as she just waited for Derek to come back to her.

As much as she loved being pregnant, the watching of her stomach growing, the feeling of her daughter move within her, the motherly love she felt consume her, she was beginning to just want her body back, she wanted her daughter in public view so she could show her off, not hidden away waiting for the right moment.

She must've been dosing because in the moments she felt the dip, she felt a hand go to her stomach and started to lure her out of her sleep in the gentle circles being made. She groaned softly, stretching a little under the feather light movement as Derek ran his hand over her stomach.

"Little bit more?" Penelope asked him as she looked to her right at him.

"It's been 3 hours, Baby; Mom wants us down for something to eat."

Penelope nodded at him sleepily and closed her eyes again, "I just wanna lie here a moment longer, I'm beyond comfortable." She whispered as her tone lost the constraints of sleep and she woke up a little more.

"I don't think she's gonna complain if you've finally gotten comfy, Princess." He settled and watched Penelope smile; he just lay there and watched her for a moment.

"Mmm, your hands are nice on my tummy, Handsome." She said in a tone full of ease, "I think your little princess likes it too."

"That's because I know what both my Princesses like." He told her, his tone low, full of sexy vibes and Penelope felt his hand slip under her top, his palm touching the skin of her bulging stomach, pushing any slight pain, tingle, sensation away, leaving behind the calm that his one hand had caused.

"I'm more of a queen." Penelope dropped in, making Derek laugh, nodding his head in slick agreement.

Penelope opened her eyes in that moment looked at Derek as he just watched her stomach, his eyes full of awe, the still lingering disbelief at what they had made, the absolute unadulterated lust that filled his eyes to the extreme.

"We created that," he said, his tone so full of amazement, "I still can't quite get my head around it. I mean, I saw Sarah when she was pregnant, and JJ, and a couple of family friend's but this..." He stopped, took a breath and looked up at Penelope's watchable gaze, "This is completely unreal," He smiled at her, "and so absolutely beautiful."

"You really know how to use those sweet, sweet sugar lips to talk a woman into loving you more, Hot Stuff." Penelope teased as she put her arm on his and smiled brightly, whatever her body was doing, however much she was irritable, she could never ever be kept down for long with Derek around.

One of his many best attributes was his ability to make her feel so much better when all seemed to be the complete opposite in her world.

Just like the day he turned back up after six months, her world, that had become so dark and scary, seemed to be eclipsed and the brightest of sun's burst through in just his existence in the room. Even if the following moments did lead to him fleeing the room and leaving her feeling like her heart might break if this was the moment she had wanted for. It didn't matter, all the negative feelings she had just wouldn't completely burst and she guessed that was down to the fact that she trusted Derek and the love they had shared for those few hours that one night.

It didn't matter if she was pregnant or not when he got back, they were due their reunion and they were due their happily ever after.

"Pen?" Derek's vice penetrated her thought, "Pen-nel-lope..." He called and watched Penelope's glazed over expression leave her eyes and look at him after a quick shake of her head, "where did you go Baby?" He asked, "And without me..." He added and pouted playfully at her.

Penelope laughed, "Oh you were there okay, Stud Muffin," she teased him delicately and tilted her head slightly, "I was thinking about how much you love me."

Derek went to defend himself.

"And I realised that it didn't matter if I was pregnant or just me, you'd have still came home that day and claimed me." She finished off, showing him she knew how much she loved him. "I knew that when you got home I was going to bleed my heart dry to you, give you everything I had left so that I couldn't regret a thing any longer."

"I'm so glad I came back and claimed you." Derek said as he pushed himself towards her, his lips nearing hers, "I am so, so glad you're all mine."He then kissed her, releasing his absolute gratitude for what she had given him over the space of a couple of months.

They settled back apart, just waiting in the silence of one another.

Just watching.

No words were needed for the moment, just them being with one another. Being an almost complete family.

Then Derek broke the silence.

"I remember one morning, I went to get coffee and there was a girl in the queue," he watched the shadow of doubt cast upon Penelope's expression, "she tried everything to get my attention and I just looked at her, smiled, and so calmly went 'I've got a girl waiting at home', she attempted to tell me she could prove me that I hadn't had the best and I remember just leaning, luring her in and going 'you've obviously not met the best' and left her to it," He said with a cheeky grin, his attention fully on her, "I didn't get any coffee that morning."

"Uh oh, grouchy bear made it into work then." Penelope teased him, her eyes showing how touched she was by that one little tale.

"Is that any way to treat a man who just said he had the best of the best waiting for him at home?" He asked her playfully, "you were _alllll_ the way here, while I was _alllll_ the there, defending you to a stranger and that's all I get?"

Penelope leant forward the best she could.

"How many women did you bat off in my honour?"

"About 472," he dropped in jokingly, smirked a little, his eyes illuminated with his playfulness, "what can I say, when I've got my perfect woman everyone can literally get lost. Why have them, when my world's back in Quantico?"

Penelope didn't think her smile could get any bigger as it was at that moment, but it did and she had never, ever felt so consumed wholeheartedly in one man in her entire life.

"You know, I like being one man's entire world."

"Get used to it, Baby Girl, because you're mine for eternity." He told her and then sat up properly, giving her another power kiss, "Now I want to get my wife and child fed."

"Oh wife?" She asked him, "I like that _so_ much, my Love."

"Good thing it's legally correct then." He finalised and got off the bed, walking to her side of the bed, helping her up and off of the bed, aiding her properly, holding her right, giving her the independency she still loved having.

It was as she followed him that she realised how they had come to be as they were, married, and loving life to the extreme, it wasn't until she sat down at the table though that she remembered a couple of day's previous when she'd met a new Morgan friend, one who'd allowed Penelope and Derek to become lawfully wedded.

She smiled as she looked down at her newest ring on her finger and smiled, she knew it was memories like those that would subsidise the pain of labour and make the time pass quickly, moving the world around her swiftly as she waited to hold her child.

The last thought she had as she was finally taken back to bed was of how bright her future was looking from where she was in the present.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope awoke from her dream, it wasn't like the ones she'd had the previous week, this one was the labour itself. She could feel the contractions hitting her in waves, taking control of her body again like they had with the Braxton Hicks, but instead of them wearing off after a couple of rounds they got worse, and worse until she was rendered paralysed to the spot with the ferocity of pain.

She remembered bits of the dream, but like others forgot most of it, she remember minor details like Derek holding her hand as she squeezed it to such an enormity she could've broke it, she remember doctors and nurses, too many doctors and nurses for her common sense knowledge on delivering babies and she remembered all too well the screaming voice in her head that professed this was nothing like the TV shows made it looked.

She lay in the darkness, not prepared to move and wake herself up entirely, so she lay so still, Derek's hand still on her stomach, his body facing her, his snores filling the air, letting her know entirely that she wasn't alone.

She stiffened as a pain erupted in her stomach, the tightening of muscles, the waves of new contractions.

She moved the easiest she could to get out of bed, to walk off the cascading sensation, but the moment she stood she knew she needed Derek.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Who wants more after that?_

_And I have a name picked out, you'll probably know in the next chapter ;)_


	15. Making This Moment Complete

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Yes, they did get married, but it's all part of the master plan for this chapter! Now you learn more about it =P_

_I call this a chapter for __**onetreefan **__and __**reises**__... you two will see why =P_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

_Everything happens for a reason._

There was reason that they spent years flirting, dancing, tip toeing around the possibilities. There was a reason that Derek always played hero physically, and Penelope played hero mentally. There was a reason that she broke her resolve that night and they did the deed. There was a reason she got pregnant after just one time and above all, there was reason they got married only days before.

Penelope tried to breathe calmly, relax the best she could, keep her cool all the while Derek was almost fidgety with both nerves and excitement.

"Ever thine, every mine, ever ours." Derek whispered his final vows in her ear as he held her hand, speaking lowly in her ear to keep her mind off of the pain.

Penelope smiled at that, she remembered the vows he'd given, the ones that completely shook her and made her become speechless, and made her lungs become breathless.

"Just breathe, Baby Girl," He coached her gently, keeping her his entire attention, aiding her the best he could like he had done this multiple times before in their life.

"You try and breathe," she ground out as her body tensed again and she had to lean forward.

Derek held her hand, strangely lavishing the feel of her tight, bone breaking grip and smirked, after hours of being in labour Penelope's irritably was wearing off as cute rather than annoying. It was only moments later than she relaxed back into the pillows, the moans and groans gone, the breathlessness taking over.

"I swear if she's a stubborn little child I will be having wise words," Penelope joked at him and smiled as he laughed. "Mark my words."

"Hmm I reckon you'll let her get away with murder."

"Aha," Penelope said as Derek sat on the edge of the bed, his hand still in hers, ready for the next contraction, "Daddy's little girl means one thing." Penelope managed, "You'll spend most of your days wrapped around her little finger."

Derek chuckled at that, knowing full well that if that was the case, then he was doomed, "I'm already wrapped around a baby girl's little finger."

"Mm, I can get you wrapped around multiple things when I want ." She told and then breathed out, attempting yet another unsuccessful way to kill the contraction, "God," she groaned as she shifted to sit up.

Derek stood up, not noticing the nurse coming in and just ran his hand over Penelope's back, almost squeezing her hand as she squeezed his again.

"I think it might be better to get you up Penelope." She advised politely and smiled, feeling a sense of inclusion with the group that made it in nearly six hours earlier, "it'll speed it up, and you'll feel better from just moving around a bit."

"I'll do anything right now to get this little girl out," Penelope said strained, her teeth gritted to prolonged contraction.

It wasn't until that died that Penelope found herself up and standing and then pacing the room with Derek sitting watching her, ready as always. He had a little smirk on his lips as he watched his face at ease even with their life about to change.

He could easily see she was trying to divert her attention, try and take herself to a calm place like the classes had told them and he could see that the stuff those classes told were for a load of nothing.

He folded his arms across his chest and smiled, "From the moment I saw you I knew straight away that I was going to marry you, get the good life with you, I knew it was going to happen, it was just the whole dilemma of winning your heart." He started and looked down at his shoes, "Then the years passed and I knew even more that you were going to be Penelope Morgan one day, I was so sure and when I want something I will have it."

Penelope looked up, slightly forgetting the predicament they were in, or well, she was in specifically.

"I nearly lost you, and I nearly gained you, so many opportunities took place and neither of us grabbed them and then one night, while we danced, I was leaving the next day and I knew I either grasped it or let it go forever, so I took it." Derek said and carried the vows he had said to her only days before in front of Derek's family and a minister. "I made it mine and every since my life has never been so bright and vibrant."

He looked up at her, saw her tears coursing down her tired face and he smiled.

"And I have my very own wonder woman to thank it all." He said and pushed himself away from the bed and approached her, "I meant all of the vows Baby Girl, and I will always mean them."

Penelope went to speak but instead she resulted in groaning out loud, her legs gluing her to the spot, her grip even tighter than it had ever been.

It didn't take long for her to place her forehead to his chest and breathe out heavily, regaining some more composure.

"You used my favourite saying." She said, still holding the position, "you remembered from years ago that I loved that saying."

"It's now our saying," he said and kissed her hair, "Ever thine, ever mine, ever ours." He repeated to her like earlier, breathing every little bit of truth and commitment into the syllables and words.

Penelope stood up, one hand going up to grip his shoulder as yet another contraction ripped through her.

"I think this little girl wants out now," she said strained somewhat, even more of her energy fleeing her body, "But God I'm so tired," Penelope told him as he supported her and then guided her over to the bed.

"I think I'm gonna go and get a nurse, see if anything's moved on at all," Derek told her and just helped her onto the bed.

Penelope doubled over, not letting Derek's hand go, the other one going to the railing on the bed, the fierceness of the grip turning her knuckles bright white.

"You better hurry because all I wanna do right now, Handsome, is push."

Derek didn't even need to be told what that meant and the moment he had the chance too, he ran to the door, called a nurse and was back to Penelope just in time to watch everything grab momentum.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Penelope moved the blanket to get a clearer look at her new daughter and felt the tears of happiness and fulfilment course down her cheeks. This moment was even more perfect than she had ever anticipated and all of her fears just dispersed from her body and let her revel in the new found completeness that had surrounded her.

She had the family she'd longed for, for years. Finally it was hers to have and cherish and not anyone or anything would stop that.

"You okay there, Baby Girl?" Derek asked as he stood by her side stoic and proud.

"I'm just happy." She said in a near whisper, her voice almost silenced because of the tears, "Hey little girl, I'm your mommy, and this man," Penelope said and put her hand out for Derek to come closer, "and this is your daddy." She whispered as the newborn squirmed in her mother's arm content, "and we love you so very much."

Derek's emotions overrule him in that instance, as he listened to Penelope and watched both her and his daughter he had never felt this overwhelmed, never in his entire life had something this tremendous and amazing happened to him.

Well, apart from Penelope ever walking into his life.

"She needs a name," Penelope said and looked away from their daughter and at him, "I want you to name her."

Derek didn't need to think, in all the talks they'd had about baby names and out of the millions of suggestions they had only one struck up perfection.

"Sophia," he spoke delicately to her.

Penelope looked up at him, that name had appealed to them both; sticking out as the most suitable than any other name and that was a lot of names. She smiled and looked down at her daughter.

"Sophia Morgan," She said to her daughter and watched the reaction, "I think someone likes her new name." She said more to Derek than anyone else.

Derek was finally able to sit on the bed as the doctor finished up completely and he could finally get close to his wife and daughter.

"Middle name?"

Penelope looked up at Derek, she bit her lip a little before speaking, "you can say no, but I want to do this for Hotch, he's been a rock for me and I don't know how else I can repay him for everything."

Derek smiled, he knew exactly what Penelope was getting to, so he leant in, looking over his daughter and he pulled the blanket down so he could get that perfect view of his daughter and he smiled at her, "Hello Sophia Haley Morgan."

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _I want to thank __**onetreefan**__ for putting Sophia across and __**reises**__ for putting Hailee there, the plan was use Haley anyway so thank you for adding that to your suggestions =) And, of course, thanks to everyone else that offered name suggestions..._

_Who wants more of this loved up life?_


	16. Our Rhythm Of Love

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...**

**A/N:**_Ooooh this is embarrassing! BUT here's your update and after much debate with the wondrous wordofwyrd and emzypemzy we all came to the conclusion that this could end, so here's your Happily Ever After =)_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

It might have only been a couple of days since meeting her granddaughter, the newest addition to the Morgan clan, but Fran Morgan could tell that familiar rhythm of love she had had when she'd married and consequently had Sarah had been well and truly passed onto her son.

Derek was now complete, years of carrying a burden left on him by Carl Buford was now well and truly lifted and all as a result of being loved by Penelope. All Derek needed was a woman that loved him with her entire heart, soul and being, one that would give him a home and a loving family and he was set for life. He realised the moment he kissed Penelope for the first time that no one judged him on what happened to him, Penelope didn't see him as broken or unworthy. Penelope saw him as special, a survivor, and now she saw him as the love of his life.

Penelope, like Derek, was complete now. She had a man that loved her, loved everything about her, she had a mom around, a family with it, something she thought was long lost and too far from reach and one of the ultimately cherished things in her life now was her baby girl. Penelope might have lost out a long time ago but now she had gained so much. Something she had waited for and something she deserved to have.

She smiled contently, her hands wrapped around a hot cup of coffee and watched as Penelope slept against Derek, who slept with Sophia in his arms. Life couldn't get any better than this.

"Adorable really isn't it?" Desiree asked as she came up and rested her head on her mom's shoulder, "I mean, it's been long awaited, and then it all happened at once. Derek's deserved this chance for years, it feels a little surreal he's now got it all."

"Your time will come, Baby." Fran said knowingly after hearing the hints of want in her daughter's voice, and smiled brighter, resting her head against her daughters in a bid of comfort, "I wish it hadn't taken them years to get to this point."

The doorbell broke the moment and Fran handed her drink to Des and ran for the bell, worried to wake the exhausted family up.

Opening the door she was met with the team, she smiled gratefully, after ringing them she wasn't exactly sure if they'd make it before Penelope and Derek decided to take the ride home with their new born.

"You better come in," she whispered politely, "They're asleep at the moment." She said and stepped back, allowing the team to step in and turn to see Penelope waking up slowly.

She looked up and smiled sleepily, "Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled herself off of Derek and sat up straight, then she began to move gingerly to the edge of the couch, ready to greet them.

Rossi stepped in quickly and helped her up and held on as she gained her balance.

"Looking good there, Kitten," He told her, making her blush.

"Well my Italian Stallion, I have every reason to emit the happiness I'm feeling inside out," She told him in her usual manner before turning a little serious, "What's the time? She's due her feed."

"You've got a little while yet, I think it's best you let them sleep."Fran said smiling, going off to make more coffee, knowing if the team were like Derek, they liked their coffee.

"So..." JJ pressed for details, "How is our little niece?"

"Perfect," Came Derek's husky, sleepy filled voice as he woke up; his large hands supporting his daughter tiny form.

Penelope smiled warmly, loving the sight in front of her, "What he said," She agreed.

Derek looked up and near enough beamed at Penelope as she stood in front of him, to him she'd never glowed more than before this moment, she'd never looked more beautiful than she did right now.

"Wanna come and take your baby girl, Baby Girl?" He asked her, and watched Penelope swoop in and gently take the baby. Derek then stood up and looked at the team, "So, how'd you like her?"

"She's adorable."

Derek chuckled, "I meant this one," He said and kissed Penelope's temple as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, "My wife." She breathed out and inhaled the shock that was given back in response.

The team looked at the family that was bestowed upon them, the now husband and wife, and the now newborn baby that sealed the deal and completed the package.

"This little girl, is just the icing on the cake." Penelope said as she held her daughter completely naturally.

"No kidding," Emily said as she stepped in to get a closer look at the baby, JJ following closely behind, "So..." She prompted, wanting details.

Penelope looked at Derek, who nodded for her to say and she looked at Hotch instead of anyone else, a quick glance down at her daughter and she looked back up again, "This is Sophia Haley Morgan," She said proudly and the moment the middle name left her lips she saw Hotch's eyes fill with emotions. "It was my only way of thanking you," She continued, getting emotional herself.

"I didn't expect thanks." Hotch said stepping in, watching the little girl for himself, "You've been there for me when I needed it, I should be the one thanking you."

"No, Boss Man, you went above and beyond everything," Penelope said as she stepped towards him, "I just think it's time you had a bit of gratitude shown to you." She told him truthfully and readied Sophia to be handed over, "Now do you want to neglect this little girl a cuddle with one of the best men in her life?"

Hotch smiled at that, one of his first real genuine smiles in a long time and took the little girl, remembering all that he had learnt when Jack was born and cradled her. Feeling an instant connection bonding between the two of them.

"She's beautiful," He said and looked up at Derek, "You really did prove you're a man."

Derek laughed, pulling Penelope back in, "Not the first time I heard that."He said and kissed Penelope again, "Hey, Baby Girl?"

"Hey, Handsome." She told him back.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

Later that night, as Penelope sat snuggled into Derek's side, Sophia asleep in the cot that Sarah had brought around; the team back at the hotel, everyone else seemingly asleep in the house.

Running circles on his bare chest, she looked up at Derek's serene face, his eyes on the darkened ceiling, his face completely relaxed and Penelope smiled gently at it.

"Gonna come back to earth?" She asked him quietly into the silent room.

Derek looked down at her, "I like feeling sky high," He merely told her, "I've got the world's best view of everything, Baby Girl."

"Well Stud," Penelope started, her hand flat on his chest now, her attention fully on him, "You'll get an even better view back down on earth with your wife and daughter."

Derek smiled brightly at her, then learnt in for a kiss, deepening it quickly before pulling away, "I love you so much, Penelope." He told her, his tone so full of emotion, so complete with lust and love, "I can never regret the way my life happened, how I had to go away, what I missed, what I came back to because had I not, I wouldn't be able to cherish you to the extreme, and you so deserve to be loved and cherished. I would've taken you for granted, but now, now I can't."

"I've never felt anything else but absolute love from you, Derek, never," Penelope responded, her tone light, fulfilled, happy. "Like I always said everything happens for a reason, and between you and I, it was all to show our rhythm of love," she learnt up this time towards him, "and I gotta say, it's the best ride I've ever been on, Stud."

"One I'd do again," He told her and finally resumed the kiss, loving that he had Penelope as his wife, that she knew every depth of his love, knew every angle of his life and shared with him the one thing that meant more to him than Penelope herself.

Their daughter.

Penelope laughed moments later, "Welcome to the good life, Handsome," Penelope told him as Sophia began to cry out and Penelope got up off the bed, her eyes on Derek still, lustful, alluring, showing him the ride had only just began.

He had to smile; if this was the good life then he was ready for it all.

_My head is stuck in the clouds_

_She begs me to come down_

_Says "Boy quit foolin' around"_

_I told her "I love the view from up here_

_The warm sun and wind in my ear_

_We'll watch the world from above_

_As it turns to the rhythm of love_

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Rhythm Of Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

**A/N:** _Again song: Plain White T's - Rhythm Of Love_

_Hope that was worth the wait, see you in the next story =P_


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